Rebound Into Love
by Antigone A
Summary: Dante's marriage to Lulu is ending, due in part to his new-found attraction to her cousin, Valerie. Rebound Into Love follows Dante and Valerie as they journey from mere temptation to something more meaningful and lasting…
1. Chapter 1

Rebound Into Love

Ch. 1

Dante suddenly found himself standing in a huge field full of small yellow flowers. He had no recollection of how he came to be there. The brightness of the sun was almost blinding and he raised his hand to shield his eyes. He looked down—he was naked, standing on a dark blue blanket that hadn't been there a moment ago. He closed his eyes again and when he reopened them, he was laying propped up on his elbows in the center of the blanket. He recognized suddenly that he was no longer alone. "Lie back," he thought he heard a voice say. A woman, then. Lulu? He smiled as he complied with the voice's instructions. He was straddled but because of the sun's brightness, he still couldn't tell by whom. Dante began moving with the figure above him, sensations rushing through him as he was pushed to the peak of arousal. He opened his eyes again as he climaxed—he wanted to see his wife's face as they shared this moment. A movement above him caused a shadow to fall across his face. He came as he fully saw Valerie's face smiling down at him. What the hell?

Dante awoke with a jerking gasp. He looked over at his sleeping wife to see if he had disturbed her with his motions. Lulu was peacefully still beside him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood. Quietly he crept to the kitchen where he poured himself a glass of cold water. Dante blew out a breath as he held the cold glass to his forehead. Where the heck had that dream come from? As if he didn't know. Against his better judgement, his mind flashed back to his hands yanking, almost ripping Valerie's dress from her body. He glanced over at Lulu as he whispered, "Dante, man, you've gotta try to let that go." Easier said than done.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standing by the window of her room at Wyndemere, Valerie gazed out into the inky blackness of the night. She sighed as she spotted the few scattered lights in the distance. "Lonely and isolated, just like me," she thought before sighing again. She laughed ruefully. "Self-pity isn't a good look for you, Val," she admonished herself. Why exactly was she awake, staring out of the window at—she glanced at the clock on the dresser—two-fifteen in the morning? Valerie moved away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed. "Mom," she finally murmured, "I've really done it this time. You aren't gone two minutes, and I'm totally detonating my life. You won't believe what I've done this time; I'm almost ashamed to tell you. Your clever little girl slept with her cousin's husband. Yep, that's what I said. There were extenuating circumstances, true, but I did it all the same. And the bad part, Mom? The worst part? I'm not nearly as sorry as I should be. So there must be some other reason I'm staring out into the night, unable to sleep…" Valerie exhaled and fell back onto the bed as she closed her eyes and willed herself to empty her mind so she could rest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lulu was dressing Rocco when Dante emerged from the bathroom after his shower. He was drying his hair with a towel as he walked into the bedroom/living room. "Hey, Babe," said Lulu, throwing a smiling glance at him while cooing at her son, "how'd you sleep?" "What do you mean, how did I sleep?" Lulu gave him a puzzled frown. "I mean, did you sleep well? It's just conversation, Dante. You know, like 'hey, how's it going? Sleep well?' What did you think I meant?"

"Sorry," Dante replied before brushing her cheek with a light kiss. "I was thinking about this case I'm working on, so I'm a little distracted. I didn't mean to snap at you. I slept fine. You?"

"I slept well, too," she answered. This strange, stilted conversation won't do, she thought. We can't seem to get our footing back after that big blowout. Or after the kiss. That I'm trying to forget about. Aloud, she and Dante spoke simultaneously. "What are your plans for today?" "What time will you be home tonight, do you think?"

Lulu responded first, "I'm dropping Rocco off at daycare and then I've got some invoices to look over and stock to order for the Star. I'll probably be there most of the day. What time are you coming home?" "I'm not exactly sure what time I'll be home. Sonny asked me to stop through, so I'll probably head over there for a minute after my shift. Who knows what he wants, but I'll try to get home at a decent hour. What's up?"

"I was thinking of taking Rocco to Maxie's after work tonight. I thought we could spend some alone time together, kind of regroup, you know?"

Dante finished getting dressed as he said, "I hear you and it sounds like a good idea, but is that fair to Rocco? We'll be away from him all day, and then to pawn him off on Maxie, I don't know. Maybe we should shoot for another night?"

"You have a point. Another night like when, though?"

"Let's sit down this weekend and figure something out, ok? I'd better get going, or I'm gonna be late." He approached the bed and gave Rocco a kiss. Lulu pursed her lips for her kiss, which Dante landed at the corner of her mouth. She gave him a disappointed frown which he didn't see as he turned away and walked towards the door. Lulu called out, "Aren't you forgetting something?" "What?" queried Dante as he began patting his pockets. "I love you, Dante," she said with a little laugh. "Oh yeah, sorry. Me too, Babe," he responded while walking out of the loft. He closed the door and leaned against the wall outside the apartment, sighing softly. "Something's got to give," he thought to himself. "This won't do at all."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	2. Chapter 2

CH. 2

Sonny was startled to hear a knock on his office door at such a late hour. He glanced at his watch, which read 9:10. "Come in," he said. More startling than the knock was who was on the other side of the door. "Dante. Hey, look, I told your other officer buddy that the only thing comin' into the warehouse today was a shipment of Arabica. I thought he was satisfied, but if he sent you…" Dante raised a hand. "I don't even know what you're talking about—no one sent me here. I need to talk to you, Sonny, if you've got a minute." "Yeah, of course. Come in. Have a seat. What's on your mind?" Dante came into the office but he bypassed the offered chair. "I can't sit. I can't sit. I'm goin' out of my mind here, so I can't sit down. I've been tryin' to hold it in all day." "Ok, ok, don't sit. Just tell me what's wrong? What's happened?" "Sonny-" Dante grabbed two handfuls of his hair, "I don't even know where to start. This is so messed up. I'm messed up. Dammit." "Ok, look. I'm gonna get you some water, you're gonna drink it, calm down, and talk to me." Sonny got up and got a bottle of water from a little refrigerator in the corner of his office. He handed it to Dante as he ordered, "Drink." Dante took two long gulps of the offered water gratefully. "Thanks," he told Sonny. Sonny asked him, "Are you calm enough to tell me what's goin' on now?" Dante sat down in the chair opposite Sonny's desk and said, "Yeah, I think so. That day I had Rocco stay with you, you remember? I said I was gonna go to Canada to confront my wife and her lover, right?" "Yeah, right, which you did. And you thought, based on what you saw up there, that Lulu and Dillon were sleeping together." "Yeah, Sonny, that's what I thought. That's what I thought, but I was wrong. Dead wrong." "That's good, right? You thought they were havin' an affair but they weren't. End of story. Well, you kissed Valerie, but other than that, end of story, right?"

Dante launched up out of the chair and began to pace again. "Not end of story. Not by a long shot. We did more than kiss. I did more than kiss her, Sonny. Damn." Sonny gave Dante a sideways glance. "You told me before you didn't, that she stopped it." "She did. She did, then. Oh, God. It was later. I started drinkin' after I got back from Canada. No excuse. Valerie came over to check on me because I had my phone off so I missed her calls. I told her what I saw, or thought I saw. Clothes all over the place, unmade bed, breakfast room service—the whole deal. She was upset for me, kept comin' up with reasons why what I saw wasn't what I thought I saw. But I was convinced I was right, so I convinced her I was right. And I was pissed off. And she was consoling me. And I just grabbed her, kissed her. She said we shouldn't do it, but I told her I didn't care. In that moment, I didn't. Lulu started blowin' up our lives; all I was doin' was finishing the job. So I took her, or we took each other. We just went at it, Sonny. In the bed that I sleep in with my wife. Dammit!" Dante threw the bottled water against the wall in anger.

Sonny was at a loss for words but Dante came to him for a reason, and he intended to honor that. He reached for the right thing to say. Finally he responded, "Ok, son, you messed up. Pretty bad. The question now is what do you want to do? How do you plan to fix it?" "Oh, man, if I knew the answer to that, do you think I would be here? Sorry, sorry. I know you're tryin' to help. I don't know what to do, Dad. I don't know what to do! Tell me what to do! What would you do?"

Sonny realized the extent of Dante's agitation after hearing Dante unknowingly call him "Dad". He caught himself just in time before calling Dante's attention to it. "First of all, this stuff never stays hidden. No matter how much you want it to, it has a way of comin' out. You slip up, or Valerie does-" "Valerie isn't going to say anything. She agreed not to, and I trust her word." "You trust her word. Huh. You feel somethin' for this girl?"

"Yeah. No. I don't know!"

"Dante. You do know. Be honest with yourself here. You feel somethin' for this girl, or not?"

"There's something there. A connection we share. I'm attracted to her. I know I shouldn't be, but I am. Lulu warned me that we seemed to be getting too close, and I brushed her off. What a joke."

"You wanna save your marriage?"

"Rocco deserves an unbroken home, and I really don't want to hurt her any more than I already have…"

"That ain't what I asked you. You want to save your marriage to Lulu?"

Dante sat back down in the chair as his eyes filled with tears. "I can't touch her, Sonny. I've tried. The guilt is overwhelming at times and I feel like I'm gonna choke on it. But then I remember how she lied to me, didn't trust me over Dillon, and I get angry all over again! And then the guilt goes away… I don't know what to do."

"She's gotta know the truth. She deserves that much. You've gotta live with whatever she wants to do after she knows. I also think whatever you're feeling for Valerie is cloudin' your judgement. Get your head on straight. If Lulu wants you two to be apart, you live apart for a while. If she wants to go to counseling, you go to counseling. If you want to save your marriage, that is. She's gonna be pissed as hell at you for a while, and you've gotta let her have those feelings. Tell her the truth, and then take your cues from her how to fix it. That's my advice, for what it's worth."

"Thanks, Sonny. I mean that. It's worth a lot."

"Good. And don't worry, I won't tell Carly what you told me this time. You feelin' better?"

"A little bit, yeah."

Sonny rose and walked around his desk to a cabinet across the room from which he retrieved a roll of paper towels. He threw them at Dante. "Then you won't mind cleanin' up your mess. Throwin' stuff at my walls," he muttered.

Dante ruefully chuckled as he bent to wipe up the spilled water. "Cleaning up messes I've made. The new story of my life."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie dressed with care for work the next morning. She skillfully applied her make-up to try to disguise the effects of a sleepless night. She chose her red A-line skirt and a crisp white blouse—her "power gear"—to bolster her confidence. Her Jeffrey Campbell red suede pumps rounded out her ensemble. She made her way down to the dining room where Nikolas and Spencer were already seated. Spencer jumped from his chair as she entered and he pulled her chair out for her with a cheeky smile. "Whoo, such manners! I wonder who taught you to do this?" Valerie returned his smile with a grateful one of her own. "My father said I should always pull out the chair for a lady. It's the polite thing to do." "Well, some day, one lucky lady is going to appreciate you following your father's instructions. I guess this morning, that lucky lady is me. Thank you, kind sir." Alfred entered the dining room pushing a rolling tray. He served Nikolas and then Spencer as he remarked, "Miss Valerie, good morning. If you don't mind me saying, you look especially charming this morning. What would you like to be served for breakfast?" "I'm surrounded by gallant men this morning! First Spencer, and now you, Alfred. Thank you. I'm not as hungry as I thought I'd be, so I'll make do with orange juice and toast, please." Nikolas looked at Valerie with a keener eye. "Alfred is quite correct. You also look very—professional. You put your hair up. Is something special taking place today?" "I needed the extra boost today. At times I find myself in need a lift." "Ah, yes. I sometimes forget that you are still in mourning for your mother. Your 'boost' appears to be working. Will you be taking the launch with us or do you plan to go a bit later?" Alfred returned to the dining room. He sat the toast and juice in front of Valerie. He asked her, "Are you sure this is all you require?" "This is perfect, Alfred. Thank you." He inclined his head and then disappeared once again. Valerie took a swallow of the juice and then began buttering her toast. "When do you intend to leave for the mainland?" she asked. "In about an hour or so," Nikolas answered. "I'll go with you—I'll be ready."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie was in the Cold Case file room at the PCPD woolgathering and she jumped with a start and turned when she heard her name softly uttered. "Dante, hi. Hey, good morning. I didn't hear you come in. How are you? Never mind, I can see you're fine. I should probably get back to-" "I wasn't trying to interrupt you. What are you doing?" "Detective Johnson asked me to refile these cold case files. I guess I got caught daydreaming. I'll just get out of your way…" She moved to leave the room when he reached out to stop her. "Wait a minute. What's going on? It feels like you're trying to avoid me. I thought we'd agreed to be friends." "We did. We are. I was only going back to work." Valerie once again tried to step around Dante, and once again, he stopped her. "That's not what it feels like. It feels like you're avoiding me. I don't want things to be awkward between us. That's the last thing I want. I value you, your friendship. I told you, I don't want to lose that." "You won't. We are friends. It's hard to be around you though, sometimes. You don't feel the same way I do—I get that. You're going to try to work things out with your wife, my cousin. I'm finding a way to deal with that. But that means that sometimes I've got to step back, away from you. It's not out of malice, though. More like self-preservation." Dante reached out to stroke her arm unconsciously. "I hate that you're feeling this way. I don't like it at all. The idea of you hurting-" "Dante, please, don't say anything else. Just let me get back to work, ok?" He shifted to the side to allow her to pass. "By the way," he said, "you look boss in that red." She scowled at him. "And by 'not saying anything else,' I mean not saying things like that." "You're right, totally. That wasn't appropriate. I'm sorry." She shook her head as she opened the door to exit. He sighed aloud. "Dante," he wondered inwardly, "what are you trying to do?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

"Food and sex. That's all you need, Lulu. You've been married all this time and you still don't know that? Men are simple. Get his favorite meal from his favorite Italian restaurant, pour him some wine, and after dinner, show him your sexiest lingerie. Bam, you're in."

Lulu shook her head at her best friend. "I think it's going to take more than that this time, Maxie. Something still feels off. It's like his body is present, but his mind is somewhere else. I can't put my finger on it. Something else is going on. It can't just be the kiss..."

"What kiss? Who kissed who?"

"I didn't tell you about that yet, did I? Dante and Valerie. They actually kissed. Well, he's claiming he kissed her—she's not at fault at all. Yeah, right. That was his response to thinking I cheated on him with Dillon, kissing Valerie."

"That uber skank! And she didn't have anything to do with it? 'Yeah, right' is right. You know she was over there on the 4th, don't you? Nathan and I stopped by to invite you all to a picnic in the park. Dante made some noises about how Rocco had a cold and since you were 'helping your hurt grandmother', we'd shoot for next year. She was standing there big as life. I felt a weird vibe then. I knew I should have smacked her!"

Lulu laughed at Maxie's ferocity. "Thanks, pal. I knew you'd have my back on this. But as much as I blame her, I blame Dante, too. Even if he thought I was cheating on him, he didn't have to kiss her. Why did he kiss her? I know he feels sorry for her so he can't see her for who she really is. Keeps telling me I have to accept her as family. I don't see that happening, ever. I didn't trust her before but after all this, I really don't. I just want her gone, but I don't see that happening, either. I'm not sure how to get things back to normal. I thought if you could watch Rocco tonight, maybe Dante and I could try to reconnect, talk some more, really see what's going on and where we're at. He shot that idea down, though, saying Rocco didn't deserve to be pawned off on you after being away from us all day. He had a point, but still…"

Maxie gave Lulu a huge smile. "Look, you know I love Rocco. Let's do this. I'll keep him over here tonight. You ambush your husband with the plan. Food and sex. I'm telling you, it works every time!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The aroma that assailed Dante's nose when he entered the loft was heavenly. The scent immediately took him back to his childhood, those smells mingling in the air and wafting out of kitchen windows all over the neighborhood as he and his friends played in the streets. For a moment, he wondered if his Ma was back in town. He unclipped his badge and locked his weapon away in its lockbox, then made his way to the small kitchen. Ah. Take out. Lulu must have decided to surprise him. He lifted the corner of one of the tins. Beef braciole, mmm. Suddenly, Dante was famished. He thought to give Rocco a kiss and a cuddle before setting the table for the meal. Rocco wasn't in his crib, though. He was beginning to search the loft when Lulu emerged from the bathroom wearing a silk bathrobe over what appeared to be new, skimpy lingerie. "Hey, Babe,' he greeted her, "where's Rocco?" "Maxie offered to take him for the night so we could have a chance to spend some time together. I thought it was a good idea—I took her up on her offer." Dante stared at Lulu for a minute and then scratched his head before saying, "I thought we talked about this, though. I thought we agreed to talk this weekend, but to have Rocco come home tonight after being away from us all day. Didn't we decide that?"

"We kind of did, but she offered, and I didn't see how one night could hurt anything, and we need the time…"

"She offered? You didn't ask her, and she somehow played along, huh? She just offered, out of the blue?"

"Does it matter whether she offered, or if I asked her? The point is that he's being looked after by someone we trust, and it's only one night."

"No, the point is that I thought we'd already settled this. Why do I even say anything? If you planned to do whatever you wanted to do anyway, why ask me? I didn't want him at Maxie's tonight, I wanted him here. I haven't seen him all day and I was looking forward to spending some time with him."

"It's one night, Dante. One night. One night we need together. I don't see-"

"You don't see what? What the big deal is? We discussed this already, that's the big deal. We agreed to talk this weekend, but as usual, you go ahead and do whatever you want to without any regard to me or what I say! Why do you even bother to ask me about anything? Just bulldoze ahead and do whatever you want to—you don't need my opinion to do that, do you?"

"Dante, you're blowing this out of proportion! I didn't mean anything by asking Maxie to take Rocco except that I thought we needed some time together! No one's disregarding you or ignoring your opinion!"

"So now I'm imagining how I feel on top of being ignored. Great. So tell me, Lulu, how do I really feel? I shouldn't be angry that you totally disregarded what we already agreed on, right? So, how should I feel?"

Lulu stomped into the kitchen and began throwing the carefully planned meal into the trash bin. "Don't you dare throw that food away! " Dante grated.

"Why not, I bought it! All I was trying to do was have a nice romantic night for the two of us where we could try to get things back on track and you ruined it. I don't even get why what I did was so wrong! This was for us! For us, Dante, and it was only one night! What is your problem?"

"I told you, my problem is you just deciding to do something and disregarding how I might feel about it! Once again, I'm a bystander for Lulu's Big Adventure, if I'm invited along at all!"

Lulu glowered at Dante angrily. "And there it is, isn't it? It all goes back to me going off with Dillon! I already explained that! You know what really happened now! Why can't you let it go? I didn't do it to hurt you—my dad-"

Dante held up his hand to stop her mid-sentence. "I know, I know, your dad. Don't bother with all that again! The bottom line is you don't seem to trust my judgement. Or care about my opinions. You always know best, don't you? Lulu's way, or the highway, right?"

Lulu paused and looked at Dante in hurt silence. To say she felt disappointment would be understating things. How had the night derailed into this train wreck? She rubbed her head as she reached for the right words to defuse the situation. "Dante, let's calm down, ok? Let's sit down and talk this out. I thought we were getting past me going to Canada with Dillon. I want to get past all that. I mean, you kissed my cousin, didn't you? You think that's ok with me? We both screwed up. I want to get past it, though, and get back to who we were before Valerie-"

The calmness Dante was reaching for evaporated instantly. "Don't you blame Valerie for all this! This is bigger than Valerie! You don't trust me!" He suddenly realized how thoroughly hypocritical that statement was, but he continued, "All this happened because you didn't trust me! This whole mess started there! And I don't think I can get past it! I'm trying to, but I can't seem to let it go."

"We need to talk to somebody, Dante. Someone neutral who can hear both sides and help us. I think we're really in trouble here. We need help."

"What, like a counselor or something?"

"Are you against that? Would you be willing to go if we found someone?"

"Sure, if you think it'll help. I'll go."

"If I think it'll help? What about you? Don't do it just for me!"

"That's not what I meant, Lulu."

"Ok, then we'll find someone and see what we can do to fix all this. Clear the air and start fresh. I really want us to get back to where we were before Canada, Dante. Before everything got so muddled. Can we sit down at least and enjoy this food?"

"I've lost my appetite—I just want to go to bed. But don't throw it away, ok? Save it for later."

Lulu gave Dante a faint smile. "I thought we promised we'd never go to bed angry at each other?"

"So what, I should stay awake all night?"

Lulu's smile fell away to be replaced by sadness. She shook her head in frustration, which Dante noticed. "It was a joke, Lulu. A bad one. I'm sorry." He approached her and touched her shoulder. "I know you were trying to make this a good night, too. I don't know what's wrong with me. Let's just write this one off, ok?"

"Sure," she replied. She watched as he undressed and climbed into bed. "We seem to be writing off more and more lately anyway," she murmured before going to the kitchen to put the uneaten food into the refrigerator.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie took a sip of her wine before taking another bite of the beef bourguignonne she was enjoying due to Carly's graciousness. She sat across her cousin in the restaurant at the Metro Court, giving her a faint smile before remarking, "This is really good, Carly. Whatever you pay your chef isn't enough. Thanks for inviting me out. I'm still not sure why, though." Carly acknowledged her thankfulness with a smile of her own. "You're welcome-enjoy. And trust me; the chef makes more than enough for his services. I thought this would be a good time to get to know each other. You've been in town for a while now but I haven't made any time to get more acquainted with you. Totally my fault. You'll find I get swallowed up in my own drama a lot. We're family though, and should get to know each other better. That's why I invited you."

Valerie angled her head a bit and looked at Carly thoughtfully. "So it wasn't to warn me off your cousin's husband? Ok."

Carly chuckled. "My cousin is your cousin, too. Don't forget that. Look, you and Dante made a mistake, one I don't think you plan to repeat. Dante and Lulu worked hard to get what they have, so I'm seeing this as a bump in the road. As far as you're concerned, you don't seem like the type to go around breaking up marriages to me. I'm sure the kiss was one of those things where two people who had too much to drink ended up doing something they wouldn't do otherwise. I'm not planning to rake you over the coals for that. If you spend any real time in Port Charles, you'll find any number of people ready and willing to give you book, chapter and verse on all the mistakes I've made since coming to town. I will warn you, though. If you have feelings for Dante, you should end them. You're only borrowing pain if you don't, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Valerie thought to herself, "If you only knew what really happened. It might be too late for that." She pushed her plate away as she responded, "Can feelings be turned on and off like turning a tap? Maybe they can, I've not really tried. I'll tell you this much, I don't intend to do anything Dante doesn't want me to do. Is that fair? I'm not a home wrecker. But if he comes my way again, I won't turn him away."

"Ooh, little cousin, I'm not liking what I'm hearing at all. I only see trouble ahead—take it from someone who knows how these things end up. Let's talk about something else, ok? Tell me how it was growing up 'Spencer' away from the dysfunctional Spencers."

"Hmm. For as long as I can remember, it was just my mom and me. We were a real team, you know? I didn't know my father. Mom never really talked about him. I got the impression from things she let slip over the years that he was married. She never said that outright, it's just an impression I had. I think she loved him but if he was married, that would explain why there was no room for me in his life, or why he never looked for me. I kind of like believing that's the reason he stayed away. Life was normal, I guess. People are funny. They'd look at Mom, then look at me like, 'This is your daughter? Is she adopted?' And when Mom would say, 'No, she's not adopted,' they'd get this look like, 'Ohh, it's like that. Patricia likes the chocolate.' My mom raised me to believe that people are just people, though. Her dad was a bigot and that didn't sit well with her. I always thought that's why she left home so early, to get away from his small-mindedness. Now I know differently. I wish I'd talked to her more about it all, been pushier about asking more questions. She's gone, and half of my history went with her." Valerie's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry for getting all weepy. I still miss her. I think I always will."

"You're human, aren't you? It's ok to cry, Val, and if you can't cry with family, who can you cry with?"

"'Val?'"

"You don't mind, do you? It fits. It's cute. Like you."

"I don't mind at all. It's how I think of myself."

"I grew up not knowing who my father was for a long time. And I actually was adopted. I had a lot of anger over that for a long time, and I acted out because of it. That's how I ended up here in Port Charles, but that's old, nasty, better to be forgotten history. We have some common ground, little cousin. Enough to build on, don't you think?"

"I'd like that, 'big cousin'. I'd like that a lot. I should be getting back to Spoon Island. I'm sure Nikolas' pilot isn't going to hold the launch forever." They both rose from the table as they prepared to leave for their respective homes. "I'll go with you to the dock, because I don't want you going on your own," declared Carly "You don't have to do that—I'll be fine. Thanks, though." "It's either me or Max, who is one of Sonny's bodyguards. Take your pick." "Max, then. You should go home. I really enjoyed myself tonight, Carly. Thank you again. For listening and for caring."

"I told you, we're family. You're welcome. I enjoyed myself, too, more than I expected to. We'll have to do it again sometime."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie was pensive as she rode the launch toward Wyndemere. Carly made a good point—if Dante intended to work things out with Lulu, it made no sense for her to harbor feelings for him. Maybe she needed to see what else, or who else Port Charles had on offer. There were a couple of guys in the department who were single; Dante wasn't the only fish in the sea, not by a long shot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

A few days after Valerie's talk with Carly, she decided to approach life in Port Charles with a different attitude. She wanted to lighten up. Her beloved mother was gone and nothing she did would bring her back. Only time would heal that particular wound. Dante decided after their one night together that it was a mistake, and he wanted to work things out with his wife. Who just happened to be her cousin. Fine, then. Only time would help her let that go, too. For now, though, it was also time to branch out, meet people, and have some fun. Randy Hill, one of the younger officers in the department, walked through in the middle of her musings, trying valiantly not to drop a box and several other items he was carrying. She flashed him a thousand-watt smile as she jumped up to assist. "Here," she said, "let me help you with some of that. Where are you going with all this stuff?" Randy gave her a thankful smile in return as he replied, "The evidence room. Thanks for the save. And you should smile more often. Suits you." "It does, doesn't it? I just came to a decision that made me smile. Tell me where people go for fun around here." He thought for a moment. "It depends on what you want. There are a couple of good nightclubs, there are always movie theaters. A few of us usually end up at Jake's a lot after work. What're you interested in?" "I want to dance. I want to cut loose, let go for a night, and get away from all the drama in my life. Jake's, huh? Next time you go, give me a 'holla'." "How about tonight?"

"After work? Really? Why not? Sounds perfect." Valerie winced as a new thought crossed her mind. "I totally invited myself out with you, didn't I? I didn't mean to seem pushy. Maybe we should rethink-"

Randy stopped her before she could complete the thought, saying, "Don't sweat it. I wanted to invite you out; I've thought about asking you out a couple of times, but I didn't think you'd be up for it. It'll be fun."

Dante walked into the station in time to catch the tail end of their conversation as they exited the evidence room. He heard, "Thanks, Randy. I think you're right—it'll be fun. I'm looking forward to it." She beamed Randy with her captivating smile before sashaying away. Dante approached Randy, asking him, "What's she talking about, Hill?" "Oh, hey, Falconeri. We're meeting up at Jake's tonight. She said she wanted to go to a place where she could just cut loose. How loose remains to be seen, if you know what I mean," he finished jokingly. "You think talking about her like that is funny? Sounds disrespectful to me. You'd better watch your mouth." Randy was momentarily shocked at the vehemence with which Dante spoke as he responded, "I didn't mean anything by it—I was messing around. No offense meant. I like Valerie. What's not to like? She's pretty hot, and down to earth on top of it. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better, that's all I meant." Dante watched Randy walk away with a puzzled look on his face, and he sighed aloud. He didn't have the right to feel jealous. Valerie was free to see whomever she chose. Wasn't she? What the hell was she doing, though, agreeing to go out with Hill?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TGIF! It was finally Friday night, and the working class in Port Charles was looking forward to finding various ways to let off some steam and put the memories of the grueling week behind them. Nathan and Maxie wanted to get Dante and Lulu out of the house for some fun. They realized the twosome was under some strain, and they thought maybe a night on the town might help them to relax, to remember what it was like to have some fun as a couple. Sonny and Carly were allowing Josslyn to watch Rocco with their supervision as her first babysitting job, so there was no reason to refuse going out. When Nathan asked them where they wanted to go, Dante found himself asking, "Why not Jake's?" before he could stop himself or change his mind. They were fortunate enough to spy an empty table, and Maxie shook her hips as they made their way over to it through the crowded bar. Dante placed an order at the bar for beers to be sent to the table before joining them. Coleman had hired a live band for the night, and they were in full swing as they played a mixture of genres for the gyrating couples on the makeshift dance floor. Nathan looked around the room, observing, "It looks like half the PCPD is here tonight." Lulu glanced around as well, her smile turning to a frown as she recognized a familiar face in the crowd. "Yeah," she said with a disgusted sigh, "It looks like." They all followed her gaze and saw Valerie on the dance floor with Randy Hill. "Oh, geez, let's hope she doesn't see us…" Maxie's words were abruptly cut off by the kick she received from Lulu. They all continued staring at Valerie as she raised her hands over her head and clapped them while she moved in time to the music. She turned her back to Randy and he watched in appreciative fascination as her hips swayed from side to side. Valerie turned back to him and hooked her hands together behind Randy's neck. They were brought closer to one another and their bodies made brief contact before Valerie spun away again. Once more she turned back to Randy, making a "Come here" motion with her fingers. He quickly complied, grabbing her waist as she raised her hands over her head and started clapping along with the rhythm.

The song changed to a slow one. Nathan was just about to remark that Valerie seemed to be a good dancer when he spied the look on Dante's face. "Whoa," he thought, and he nudged his partner's leg under the table. Dante turned his glaring face to Nathan, who shook his head in response as if to say, "Knock it off!" His eyes quickly cut to Maxie and Lulu, and Dante finally got the message he was trying to send. Dante took a swallow of his beer, which went down the wrong pipe, prompting him to begin coughing. "You ok, Babe?" Lulu asked with concern in her voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going to go outside and get some air," he answered as he tried to clear his throat. He got up and made his way through the crowd to the outside of the bar. Nathan told the ladies, "I'm going after him, make sure he's ok."

Nathan caught up with Dante in the parking lot. "Dude," he queried, "what's wrong with you?" Dante tossed him a glance, responding, "The beer went down the wrong pipe—that's it." "That's not what I'm talking about at all. The way you were watching Valerie and Hill-"

"What about it?"

"You looked like you wanted to take someone out, that's what. You'd better hope Maxie and Lulu didn't notice the way I did, or you'll never hear the end of it. You looked like a man whose girl was dancing too close to some other guy, and like you wanted to do something about it. I know you guys kissed, but what else is going on?"

"What else could there be? Nothing is going on."

"That look didn't say 'nothing'. All I know is you'd better get it together. Your face is too expressive for you not to, and your wife is too smart. She's bound to pick up on 'whatever this isn't' if you're not careful."

They turned back to reenter the bar, and Lulu hurried to return to the table before they got there. What had she just heard? And what did it mean? Was there something more than a kiss between Dante and Valerie? And other than asking him outright, how could she find out what that "something" was?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante had vacillated all night between self-hatred and anger as he recalled Valerie and Randy dancing, and his response to it. He didn't have the right to be this angry. He didn't even know with whom he was angry. Valerie was a free agent, and he was the one who told her he wanted to work on his marriage. He thought that was what he wanted. It was what he should want. He still loved Lulu, didn't he? Rocco shouldn't have to deal with a busted home over his parents' melo, right? He gave his son a fond look as he watched him playing happily in his playpen. He walked over to the playpen and bent down to chat with his son, who offered the truck with which he was playing in return. "Yeah," he told Rocco, "it's not your fault your old man's a mess, is it? Or that he can't seem to do the right thing anymore. Or that he doesn't even know what that means anymore." Dante took the truck from Rocco's hand before lifting him out of the pen to cuddle him. He made eye contact with his son, telling him, "Ah, little man, the last thing I want to do is scar you for life. I have a feeling, though, that no matter what I do, you're gonna end up taking the hits. I'm sorry, baby. You don't even understand why, but I'm sorry anyway."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Deciding that he desperately needed some fresh air, Dante gathered up Rocco's baby bag and placed his son in his stroller. Together, they made their way to the park. Dante spread out the blanket he'd brought with him, realizing in just that moment that it was dark blue. He couldn't help but flash back to his dream in the field of flowers as he lifted Rocco out of the stroller onto the blanket. Even out here in this peaceful park, his mind wouldn't give him a break. As if he had conjured her up, a few minutes later he heard a smiling voice say, "Hey, Rocco! How are you?" He looked up and sure enough, it was Valerie standing there above them. He glared at her before he could catch himself. "Whoa, what did I do to deserve that look?" she asked him. She went on, "If I'm disturbing you, I can easily move on. I only stopped to say 'hi,' anyway."

Valerie proceeded to walk on when he halted her with, "Did you have a good time with Hill last night?" She thought it was a genuine inquiry so she answered, "Yeah, I did! He's a good dancer, and a pretty fun guy. As a matter of fact-" she paused for a moment as a new thought struck her. "How did you know I was with Randy last night?"

"We were at Jake's last night, too. We all saw you there."

"Who is 'we all'?

"Lulu, Nathan and Maxie. You put on quite a show with your dancing. Was that where the show ended, or was there an encore presentation somewhere else?"

"You'd better not be asking me what it sounds like you're asking me. Because first of all, if that's what you're asking, I'm not a slag, regardless of what happened between us! Second of all, whatever I do, with whomever I do it, is not your business. By your own choice! So if I did screw him, why would you care? Yeah, we did it! Against the wall, in his shower, on his bed! Is that what you want to hear? Does that make you feel better about what WE did?"

Dante quickly jumped up from the blanket, his finger angrily pointing in her direction, speaking to her with a raised rasping voice. "Hey! Don't say stuff like that, or even think it! I mean it! You better not have-"

"What if I did? You still haven't answered me! How is it any of your business what I do? Why do you care?" she shouted back.

"I shouldn't care, ok!" he shouted back huskily, unconcerned by this point that they were in a busy park. "I shouldn't care, but I do! I swear, Valerie-" he bit off his last comment before going on softly, "Just tell me you didn't sleep with him, ok?"

"I shouldn't tell you anything, but, no, I didn't sleep with him, all right? We danced, had a couple of beers, he walked me to the dock, and I left on the launch."

"I'm glad. I'm glad—I've been going crazy all night, imagining all kinds of things…"

"Well I'm glad you're glad. I didn't even think about sleeping with him! I guess that privilege is reserved for you alone." Before he could respond to that statement, he heard a gasp behind him. He and Valerie turned to find Lulu standing there, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes tearing slowly. "No way," she whispered. "No possible way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The moment felt etched in amber. Still, and captured that way forever. Even the wind seemed to have stopped blowing. Dante felt electrified, as if every hair on his body was raised.

Valerie winced and shook her head. Of all the things to happen—God! Why here, why now? Why did Lulu have to show up now and hear that?

No one spoke at first. Dante finally stepped toward Lulu, a gesture that was quickly cut short by her upraised finger. She patted the air in front of her with her hand. "Wait a minute, Dante," she said, "don't. What did I just hear? What did I just hear? You and Valerie had sex? Is that what she meant? You and my cousin had sex! Together! You accused me of sleeping with Dillon and gave me all this crap—when did it happen? Where did it happen, you bastard?"

"Lulu-"

"No! No! Don't even try to soft soap this or lie your way out of it! Tell me the truth, Dante Falconeri! Did you or did you not have sex with my cousin?"

It seemed as if the whole earth was quietly waiting for his answer. "Yeah," he finally whispered. "It's true. We did." Lulu felt galvanized by a strong force propelling her as she launched herself toward her husband with an almost inhuman growl. All she could think about was ripping his face in half. She wanted to see a bloody mess on the ground where she left him after she was finished annihilating him. She felt another force grabbing her and holding her back.

"Lulu! Don't! Don't do this in front of Rocco!" Valerie exclaimed as she vainly tried to keep her cousin from exacting maximum damage on her husband. Lulu rounded on her and slapped her hard enough to make her stumble backward. "Don't you even speak my son's name! You don't have the right to say his name! As if you care about Rocco! Where was your concern when you were screwing his father, huh? Where was it, Valerie? My cousin! My so-called family! You bi-"

Dante quickly cut her off with, "Don't do this in front of Rocco! Valerie's right; not here, not right now!"

Lulu's face was a mask of fury as she snarled, "You've lost the right to tell me not to do anything, Dante! I can't believe you! All along! All along you were holding this 'secret' in. No wonder you were so miserable! You called me out for lying to you! And you made everything seem like it was my fault when it was you all along! You and my cousin screwing each other!" Her face went blank as she came to a realization, and then she whispered, "And you still want her. That's what this has all been about. That's why we couldn't get back on track, that's why you haven't touched me since I got back from Canada. You still want her, don't you? You agreed to go to counseling? What a joke! You just weren't man enough to tell me that you sexed up Valerie, and you didn't quite know how to tell me you suddenly preferred my cousin to me, did you? It all makes a strange kind of sense, now. Wow, Dante. Only a scumbag would keep me feeling guilty after knowing you had done something much worse. Who are you, anyway? Who are you, and what have you done with my husband?"

Dante grabbed his hair in agitated frustration, and then said, "Lulu, I have no defense. None. I didn't want you to find out like this. I knew I'd have to tell you what happened eventually, but I didn't know how to. Honestly, I thought maybe during the counseling-"

Lulu laughed derisively at Dante. "Honestly? Honestly? Can you even use that word as if you know what it means? You're so basic, Dante. So disappointingly, typically, utterly basic."

"Can we talk about this at home? Please? Maybe ask Maxie to take Rocco -"

"Home? What home? You mean that place you live? The place where my son and I no longer live? That home? No, we can't 'go home'. I love how now it's ok to involve Maxie, too. You can go do whatever, but my son and me? We'll be at my brother's. Which reminds me, Skank," she addressed Valerie, "don't bother trying to go back to Spoon Island, except to get your crap out of my brother's house. Trust me, when Nikolas finds out what you did, you'll no longer be welcome there." Through her tears, she reached out to put a bewildered Rocco into his stroller. She grabbed his baby bag, and then, without so much as a backward glance, she marched away.

Dante made a last minute motion to go after them when Valerie stopped him. "Don't, Dante. Let them go."

"I can't just let her take my son!"

"He'll help calm her down. They'll be fine. Don't make things worse by trying to take him from her right now. When she's calmer, you two can talk things out."

"What a mess! Talk things out? Yeah, you heard her. I don't see that happening at all. I am supposed to want that, though, aren't I? How in the world did I let everything get so twisted?"

"Don't you still want to work things out with her? Wasn't that the plan once you learned the truth about what happened in Canada?"

Dante bypassed her questions as he reached out to stroke her cheek where a bruise was slowly forming. He shook his head regretfully, murmuring, "I hate that she did this to you. You didn't deserve it—you were only trying to help."

Valerie laughed softly at him before replying, "Didn't deserve it? You're sweet. Deluded, but sweet. Of course I deserved it! That one shot, she earned it, and I had it coming. That's all she's gonna get, though." She sighed. "The big question is what happens now?"

"That is the million dollar question, isn't it?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

Dante lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He said the words aloud to get used to them, to hear how they sounded on his tongue. "My wife has left me. I'm sure she'll want a divorce. I'm going to be a divorced man, a statistic. Despite my best efforts, my son is going to grow up in a broken home. I slept with my wife's cousin, and she is not going to forgive me for it. I trashed my life, my wife's life, my son's life. Ah-mazing. And what about Valerie? What do I do about these feelings I have for her?" He paused for a second, and then shook his head. "Well, Ceiling? What do you have to say? No smart remarks but no answers either, huh, not even pithy ones? Fat load of help you are. Thanks a lot."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that afternoon in Jordan's office, Valerie was sitting across the desk from her boss, watching as she shook her head. "Girl, what did you think would happen? I'm not going to tell you 'I told you so,' 'cause I know that's the last thing you need to hear right now, but realistically? How did you see all this falling out?"

Valerie blinked back tears as she answered, "Not like this. We didn't intend for her to find out, remember? I'll never forget the look on her face as long as I live. Like someone had sucked her soul right out of her. I didn't mean for any of this to happen! Under different circumstances, I wouldn't have hurt my cousin for the world! Which means nothing now, I know. I have no clue where to go from here."

Jordan handed her a tissue, which she used to wipe her eyes. "Good question. Where do you go from here? Literally. Where are you staying?"

Valerie gave a short laugh before replying, "I stayed at the Metro Court last night, but that can't last forever. Carly's been great, but she needs to be seen as impartial right now. I don't want to ruin her relationship with Lulu on top of everything else. I can't live above Kelly's for the same reason. My Aunt Bobbie's, LULU'S Aunt Bobbie's place. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but something will turn up. It always does. I'm sorry to be bending your ear with all this, Commish, but I didn't know who else to talk to, since you already know everything, anyway."

"It's cool, I don't mind, and if I can help, so much the better. I know how it is. My sounding board is out of town, which is why I bent your ear about my son and Sonny Corinthos, so I get it. Sometimes you need to just blow off steam, get things off your chest. Let me know how things turn out. If worst comes to worst and you've got nowhere else to go, you can always use my couch…"

Dante halted mid-knock on the Commissioner's office door; he paused to listen. His original intention was to bring her up to speed on his current case, but slowly, as he listened, his mission changed. This was one thing he could fix, he thought. "I'm gonna take a 10-7," he told the officer on the duty desk before leaving the station.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sonny looked at Dante in growing amazement as he listened to his son's request. Then he slowly shook his head. "I still don't think you're thinkin' clearly, Dante. With all that's goin' on, you come to me with this? I can allow it—that's not the problem. The problem is your wife findin' out about it, and how she's gonna feel about it. You do this, and I don't see any hope for you two goin' forward. That what you want?"

"You told me to take my cues from her, didn't you? I'm pretty sure she'll want a divorce. She won't even talk to me right now. I don't see any fixing this, Sonny. As long as she doesn't try to keep me from Rocco—I'll deal with the rest later. In the meantime, though, Valerie needs a place to stay, now that she's been kicked out of Wyndemere. Well, not 'kicked out'. Politely asked to leave 'for his sister's sake,' more like. You have that huge penthouse standing empty. No one said it has to be forever. Just until a more permanent arrangement can be made."

"Are you part of that 'permanent arrangement'?

"I'm not thinking that far ahead right now, Sonny. I feel so rotten about this whole situation! I heard Lulu tell Valerie to prepare to move out of Wyndemere, but I honestly didn't think about what that really meant. I guess I didn't think Nikolas would ask her to leave; I don't want her worrying about not having a place to stay, either. Not on top of everything else that's happened to her since we all entered her life. Can you help me out, or not?"

"Yeah, sure. Tell her she can move in whenever she's ready. See Max—he knows where the keys are kept."

"Thanks. If you don't mind, I was also hoping to send Max with her to Spoon Island to get the rest of her stuff. I don't think there will be a problem, but she doesn't need to tangle with Lulu again. I want her to be able to get her stuff and get out with minimal drama."

Dante frowned when Sonny gave a little snorting laugh. "What?"

"You're so blind you don't even see it. I don't know what exactly is drivin' your train, but you're into this girl, big time. You might not be ready to admit it to yourself yet, but you are. Otherwise, you wouldn't be goin' through all this trouble for her. Keep telling yourself it's because she needs a break. Eventually, though, you'll be able to tell yourself the truth. Now get out of here and go find Max. I've got work to do."

"Thanks again, Sonny. I really appreciate it. I owe you one."

"Your debts are startin' to rack up, kid. What're you gonna do when I decide to collect?"

"Hope that whatever you want as repayment won't be illegal or cost me my badge, I guess."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante waylaid Valerie as she was walking out of the PCPD doors after work. He asked her, "Where are you headed?" She gave him a blank look and then a bittersweet chuckle. "Actually? I'm not sure. I had a vague idea to go to the park for a while and just sit, to figure out my next move. Then I'm going to try to find a new place to live. As you might have suspected, Lulu's words came true—Nikolas asked me to leave. I don't blame him, though. There's no way she and I could have stayed there at the same time, anyway. So I'm on the apartment hunt. Why do you ask?"

"I need to show you something. Could you come with me?"

"Something like what?"

"Just come with me. To somewhere you'll like, hopefully." Valerie gave him a skeptical look as she shrugged her shoulders and then replied, "Why not? It's not like I have anywhere else I really need to be right now."

They drove a short way through the city before Dante slowed down as they approached the Harbor View Towers. He looked for the private parking garage and after being directed by the guard at the entrance gate, he found Sonny's parking space. "Wow," he suddenly said, a bit unsurely, "I just this minute saw how you might find this overbearing. Not my intention at all." "What do you mean? What are you talking about?" inquired Valerie. He directed her, "Go ahead and get out. I'll show you."

They went up the elevator in silence. Valerie was beginning to get a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Why in the world were they here? What could he possibly have done that she might take offense to? In the middle of her racing thoughts, Dante announced, "We're here."

"Where is here?"

"Ok, listen," he responded as he unlocked the door to Sonny's penthouse, "This place is one of Sonny's properties. No one has lived here for a while, but he has someone come in from time to time to keep it up and stuff. You don't have anywhere to go. I asked Sonny if you could stay here for a while. I know it seems like I might have overstepped some boundary or something, but the idea of you being out on the street or worrying about where you were going to live didn't sit well with me. I really hope I'm not offending you by offering you this place—there aren't any strings attached. It's not necessarily a forever deal, but Sonny said you can use it for as long as you need to, ok? I can't say enough that I don't have any ulterior motives for wanting you to stay here. I just needed to know you had a safe place to go since you can't go back to Wyndemere."

She walked over to one of the windows and looked down, gazing on the city below. There was silence in the penthouse while she reached for the right words to express her feelings. Finally, she turned to him and said, "I don't know what to do, or what to make of this. See, when you do things like this, when you 'care' like this, I get confused. I know I shouldn't be. Another kind gesture towards me from a kind, caring man, right? And I'd be a fool to refuse, wouldn't I, and I'm not a fool. This kind of stuff just makes it harder to be near you, though." Valerie turned again to the window and leaned her head against the glass, exhaling deeply. "I don't know what to do," she muttered.

Dante approached her and gently turned her around to face him. "Did I do something wrong, Val? You can tell me. What exactly about this is hard for you to accept?"

"The part where this is just you looking out for a friend. I know that's what you're doing—in my head, I know that. In my heart, though-" She once again turned away from him toward the window.

Dante waited a beat, and then turned her back in his direction once more. "Listen," he began, "Ok." He put his hand on his head as he tried to find the proper way to express his thoughts. "Ok," he started again, "I am a friend looking out for a friend, that's true. I'd be misleading you, though, if I let you think that's all that's going on. But I'm kind of confused, too. A few months ago, I was a happily married man. I know I was. Then I met you and I won't lie, I found you attractive from the beginning. The attraction grew, but I was married, I loved my wife, and I had no intentions of ever acting on the attraction. Initially, I meant to be stepping up where I found Lulu lacking in her relationship with you, and I just wanted you to feel like part of the family. The more time we spent together, though—a bond formed. I think I wanted you to be able to count on me. Maybe we got closer than we should have, even before we slept together. I don't know."

"And now I'm more confused, Dante! What is my take away here? Be clear with me, so I don't get any wrong ideas-"

He pushed her against the window and their eyes met for a moment before he kissed her. The kiss turned passionate quickly because he cupped her head to hold her still as his tongue began tangling with hers. Val let out a deep moan, and Dante drew back. They stared at one another, breathing heavily.

Eventually, when he could speak, Dante told her, "I'm a bad bet right now. I've got to settle this thing with Lulu, work out custody of Rocco. I'm a mess, I'll admit it. But I need you in my life, Valerie. I can't stand the thought of you not being there."

Valerie licked her lips. She could still taste the kiss. "Settle this thing with Lulu? What does that mean?"

"I see us splitting up. I don't see any other way forward. Even though I thought we were happy enough, there were obviously some problems lying below the surface of our relationship. Trust issues on her part, and some deep seated resentments on mine. It really feels like too much damage has been done to try to get what we lost back. Something's broken, something's shattered, and it's not in me to fix it."

She walked over to the dining table next to the window out of which she had been gazing, and she leaned against one of the dining chairs, letting out a sigh and then a soft snort. "You know," she finally said, "this wasn't my plan at all. I came here to get to know my family, see if I could make some connections to help me deal with losing my mother so I wouldn't feel all alone in the world. I didn't want to break up your marriage. Dante, that wasn't my intention at all. I hope you know that."

"Ultimately, this is on me and Lulu. More me, because I'm the one who actually broke my vows, but the lying and distrust on her part didn't help. Maybe our problems came to light more easily because of you, but I don't want you thinking you were the cause. I can't say if it hadn't been this thing with Canada, it wouldn't have been something else. I can't deal with what might have happened, though. I'm dealing with now, and right now, I've got to settle things with my wife."

"Lulu is going to have a fit when she finds out I'm staying here. How do you plan to handle that?"

"So you are taking me up on the offer?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks. Thank you, Dante." Valerie approached him and hugged him before gently kissing his cheek. "I don't know what's going to happen between us in the future, but it is nice to at least have one worry off my mind."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

The next morning, Valerie arrived at work earlier than usual. She wanted to try to catch Randy Hill before too much of the day passed. Her opportunity came when he entered the station carrying two lattes, one of which he offered to her. "Good morning, lovely lady. Here you go. I didn't really know what your favorite flavor was but I saw this and thought of you," he said as he handed her the butterscotch coffee. She laughed and returned his greeting, thanking him and then taking a sip. "I've never tried this flavor before—it's good. Now what exactly about me made you think of butterscotch?" she teased him. "Oh, I hope that wasn't offensive. I didn't mean it to be-" "Randy, relax. I was only teasing you. Thanks for the compliment." "Good. I didn't want to ruin my chances before we'd even got out of the gate. Sometimes my mouth gets me in trouble." Valerie exhaled a soft sigh which Randy heard. How to explain…

"Randy," she finally stated, "I had a great time last night. I really needed the release, so thank you again for taking me to Jake's. But I don't want you to get the wrong idea. And I don't want to lead you on because you're a nice guy. There is someone in my heart already. I don't know if he and I have a ghost of a chance, but I don't want to start something with anyone else just in case. Minimize the collateral damage, you know? I could always use another friend, though. That didn't come out right. Not that I want to use you—"

Randy gave her a rueful smile. "I can't say I'm not disappointed. Friendship works, but I'm quite a catch. You just might find yourself falling for me after all, once I've worked the full force of my mojo on you. Last night was only a taste." Valerie felt deep relief as they laughed together.

Dante was running late for work—the after-effects of insomnia and a pit stop he had made before going on to the PCPD. He walked in clutching two lattes just in time to see Valerie leaning forward at her desk toward Randy Hill. She was propping her chin on her fist and saying, "Full mojo, huh? That might actually be worth seeing. Tell you what. You have my permission to do your 'best,' or your 'worst,' whichever you prefer. Fair warning, though. Nothing about me is easy!" She winked at him and they laughed again. Suddenly, she let out a gasp, exclaiming, "Crap! I forgot I was supposed to arrange for a messenger service to deliver a file to Detective Maitland—he needs it for his testimony in court today! I've gotta go take care of this, Randy. Thanks again for the latte!" She threw, "Oh, hey Dante!" over her shoulder as she dashed down the hallway toward the room where the needed file was kept. Dante was still standing there holding the lattes when Randy approached him, pointing and remarking, "Whoa, two lattes, Falconeri? Sleepless night, huh? Been there." Dante shook his head self-deprecatingly and gave Hill a short laugh in return before saying, "Yeah, that must be why I'm standing here with two lattes in my hands. Because I needed the kick." He walked away muttering, "I need a kick, all right…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As she wandered about Sonny's penthouse later that evening, Valerie looked around the room marveling to herself. This time last year, she was busting her butt wondering how she was going to keep on paying for her mother's care. Now she was actually living in a penthouse. How had she ended up here? She looked at the fireplace and wondered if she'd be here long enough to enjoy warming herself by it. A sense of melancholy began to settle over her. Her life, such as it was, was at least predictable. Go to work, go home, go see her mother and visit for a while, go home. It might have been mundane but at least she understood it and could count on it. Now everything felt like an unsettled mess. SHE felt like an unsettled mess, and she didn't like the feeling. She walked over to the bar and perused her choices. Sonny had good taste in everything, including liquor, it seemed. The bar was restocked, the pillows on the couch were plumped, and not a speck of dust existed in the house. Sonny had ordered it to be so, and it was so. And he had ordered it because Dante had asked him to do it. God, Dante. Unwillingly, he started filling her thoughts. He had been so kind to her since they met. A genuinely good man. And lover, she thought, before shying away from that particular memory. What, if anything, was she supposed to do about him? She reached out to a decanter of brandy and then drew back, changing her mind. She was alone, and she was afraid of what might happen if she got in the habit of drinking alone. Valerie came to a decision. She grabbed her keys and her purse, and headed out the door. She was going to Jake's.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Carly was sitting at a table at Jake's, leaning forward with her hand propping her head as she listened to Lulu's explosion of anger. She felt bad for her, rotten really. She knew Dante was "too perfect" and she had tried to warn Lulu in the past not to keep him on the pedestal upon which she seemed to have placed him. He was a good man, certainly, but without flaws? Dangerous thinking leads to dangerous expectations, which always leads to disappointments. She didn't remind Lulu of all this, though—she just sat and listened.

"I hate her. Plain and simple. I hate her. Every single thing that has happened to my so-called life lately can be linked to her! She staked him out, Carly. She saw her prey, bided her time, and pounced. I knew this was her plan from the beginning!"

"I don't think it's that simple, Lulu. First of all, it takes two to tango. Don't just blame Valerie-"

"I DON'T just blame Valerie! Dante proved to be a rat bastard, too! I blame them both! But she started the whole thing, put it in motion, I know she did-"

"You DON'T know that. You think it, but you don't know it. Not for sure. For what it's worth, I don't think that's how it happened. I don't get the sense from her that she was out to get your husband away from you. Circumstances-"

"Why are you defending her, Carly? Huh? You're MY cousin, remember? You're supposed to be on my side! I'm not here to hear you defending her!"

"I'm not defending her, Lulu. I'm not. What she did was wrong, and I'm sure she knows that. I'm saying there are two sides to every story, and I just don't see her as some kind of predator. I am on your side in this, and I don't blame you for hating her. She's my cousin, too, though, and I don't see myself hating her just because you want me to. She's had a difficult time lately, and-"

"I'm SICK of hearing about the hard time she's had lately! Everybody has hard times! I'm sick of it! I don't care! And she doesn't seem like a predator to you because she wasn't after YOUR husband! If she'd gone after Sonny, you'd totally be singing a different tune!"

"You're right. I'll admit it. If she had gone after Sonny, I'd be looking to plant her somewhere in the Pine Barrens. But that's my point—she didn't go after Dante. I just won't believe she did that. I can see one thing leading to another; I can see her getting herself in a situation she didn't intend to get in. More than that, I think, is your hatred talking. Dante didn't tell you how it all happened, did he? Did you even give him a chance to?"

Lulu could barely contain her ire as she looked at her cousin, grabbing her hair in frustration. "NO I DIDN'T GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN! I don't care how it happened! SHE. SLEPT. WITH. MY. HUSBAND! What part of that aren't you getting?"

"And I slept with my mother's husband. People screw up all the time. I'm not trying to make light of your feelings, Lulu, I'm really not. I'm only saying I think there's more going on here. You're entitled to be as pissed off as you want, for as long as you want. I support that. But you want me to hate her, too, without knowing the whole story and I don't want to do that. I'm sorry. You're my cousin, and she's my cousin. I am on your side, but not enough to hate her, ok?"

"Well can you at least kick her out of the Metro Court? Can you do that much for me, Cousin?"

Carly leaned back in her chair as she covered her face with her hands and sighed. "About that. She's not actually staying at the MC anymore, so you don't have to worry about that."

"Well, thank you very much for that at least!"

"Yeah. She's not at the Metro, she's in Sonny's penthouse."

Lulu was mind-boggled and trying hard to process this new information. "No possible way. Sonny's penthouse? She's in Sonny's penthouse? How did that happen? How did she even know about Sonny's penthouse? How did Sonny get in this in the first place? It doesn't make any sense-"

"Listen, Lulu. Ok, look. Don't blow a gasket here, ok? Vain request, I know. Sonny offered her the penthouse because Dante asked him to. She didn't have anywhere else to go, she didn't want to stay at the Metro Court because of our relationship, and Dante-"

"I don't wanna hear any more! I can't hear this! That utter bastard! He doesn't even want to work things out with me, does he? Not if he can do this! He should be helping to get her out of town, not finding her a place to stay! I'm done! Just totally done! And he's dead!"

Lulu jumped up from her chair and snatched her purse in unbridled fury. Valerie's or Dante's, it didn't matter whose first, but she wanted someone's blood on her hands. And it was into this storm that Valerie unwittingly entered when she walked into Jake's.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

Valerie stood like a deer caught in headlights when she saw the look on Lulu's face. "I so don't need this right now," she thought to herself. Lulu seemed ripe for a confrontation, so Val resigned herself as she walked over to the bar. She would have rather been anywhere else at that moment, but she wasn't going to run. She lifted her head up higher as Lulu approached, and mentally readied herself.

"You have the nerve to show your face here?" demanded Lulu. "I figured you'd be hiding in some dark corner where you belong, not prancing all over town as if you hadn't done anything wrong!"

"I didn't come in here for a fight, Lulu; I just wanted a drink. As far as I know, though, you don't own the town, so I can go pretty much wherever I want to. I don't need any drama-"

"Not like ownership matters much to you, anyway, does it? And people not looking for drama don't SLEEP WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S HUSBANDS, DO THEY?" Lulu said this last part loudly enough for everyone in the bar to hear, drawing all interested eyes to them as the various conversations suddenly ceased.

"I know apologizing to you won't be enough but I am sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention-"

"Your intention? Your intentions were clear from the minute you met my husband, you slag! He actually fell for your 'poor me, woe is me' act, and felt sorry for you! He welcomed you in, WE welcomed you in, and like some kind of wolf in the henhouse, you went for total slaughter, kindness be damned-"

"'Poor me' act? I'd just lost my mother! Some crazy man broke into my house, held me at gunpoint, and my life immediately went into the toilet, which caused my mom to die! I know YOU don't care about any of that, but-"

"Why should I care about any of that? You're just using your mother's death as some kind of excuse for going after my husband! 'Poor me, poor grief-stricken me! Pity me, hold me! I'm so sad!' You make me sick! And Dante fell for your act, didn't he? You sucked him right in, all the way into bed with you!"

"That's not how it was, Lulu! I didn't go after Dante, no matter what you think! But I didn't do this all by myself, either! He was right there in that bed with me; nobody forced him!"

Lulu's hand was on the upswing when Valerie grabbed her arm mid-air, squeezing it with some force before thrusting her backwards as she pushed her away. "You had one shot, which you already took. That's all you get! Look, I don't want to fight you, but don't mistake me, it's not because I'm scared of you. I'm not some street thug who brawls in public, that's all."

"No, you're not some street thug, are you? You're somewhere lower than that! Gutter trash, more like! Gutter trash who doesn't know how to be grateful, right? We invited you to stay and took you in because we felt sorry for you! No one really wanted you here, but we felt sorry for you BECAUSE you had lost your mother! And like the snake you are, you slithered in, wound yourself around my husband, and waited for the right moment to strike, didn't you? That's how you showed your gratitude, wasn't it? Tell me, how many beers did you have? How many did you get him to drink? Because I know alcohol was involved! That's the only way he would have ever touched you! That's the only way any man with taste would ever touch you! Are you satisfied, or do you still want more? You want my son, too? Our home? MY life? MY family? Fat chance! Let me repeat, no one wanted you here! Why don't you just crawl back to the gutter you came from and leave us to try to repair the damage bringing you into our lives has caused?"

Valerie felt her eyes widening, the tears welling up in them as she willed them not to fall. She felt lower than low with every blow of Lulu's verbal hammer. There were so many things she wanted to retort, but she couldn't find the heart to say any of them as she stood there getting the tongue lashing of her life. On some level, she realized she deserved Lulu's wrath so she just let the venom flow over her. She allowed Lulu the last word as she snarked, "No defense, huh? Nothing to say? That's what I thought." Lulu flounced out of the bar, her temper briefly abated after her outburst.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The patrons in Jake's were momentarily silent; slowly, conversations began again after Lulu's exit. Coleman looked at Valerie in sympathy, saying, "That was kinda rough. You ok, sweetness?" Valerie held her hand upright to stop his questioning, her breath beginning to hiccup. She didn't think she could take Coleman's kindness without breaking into pieces in front of everyone in the bar. She felt frozen to the spot. She should be running out of there after that utter humiliation. Why couldn't she move? Carly approached her, placing her hand on Valerie's shoulder. "You ok, Val? I know, stupid question. Maybe I should have tried to stop her but if there's one thing I know about Lulu, when she gets going like that, no one on earth can stop her until she's said whatever she needs to say." At that, the tears began flowing—there was no holding them back now. "Carly," Valerie whispered, "I can't seem to move. Can you help me, get me out of here? Please? I don't know—my car—I can't-"

"Don't worry about that. Coleman will watch out for it if we leave it here, won't you, Coleman?"

"You got it, Carly, no sweat," Coleman replied.

Placing her arm around Valerie's shoulders, Carly led her away from Jake's to her waiting car and driver. Valerie sat huddled in the corner of the limo, unable to speak, clutching her arms tightly. All she had to do was keep it together until she got to the penthouse. She could do that, couldn't she? Once she was alone—

They pulled up to the front entrance of Harbor View Towers and Valerie turned to thank her cousin. "I—I—I can make it f-f-from here, Carly. Th-Th-Thank you for bringing me home." Carly considered for a moment and then said, "Come on. Let's go. I'll see you safely indoors, and then if you still want me to leave, I'll leave, ok?" Valerie held her hands tightly clasped in front of her as they rode up the elevator, her head lowered while her eyes darted back and forth involuntarily. She dug in her purse for her keys, which promptly fell to the floor when she pulled them out to enter the penthouse. She let out a sobbing breath in exasperation. Carly bent down and retrieved the keys, unlocking the door and pushing it open for Valerie to enter. She told Carly, "I'm ok now—you can go."

"I don't think so. Not yet. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you something to drink-"

The fragile hold Valerie had on herself finally snapped as she exclaimed, "What? Are you afraid to leave me alone? Why? Because it seems like I'm gonna fall apart? Why should I? Just because I just got blessed out in front of a room full of strangers for the first time in my life? Because my cousin hates me, which I deserve? Why should I care about that? Because my life is utter crap right now?" She went on as she began sobbing, "I didn't set out to hurt anyone! I know that doesn't matter now, but I didn't! I didn't! We thought she and Dillon were already cheating, but it's no excuse! It's no excuse! I know that! I was surrounded by strangers saying they were my family, and Dante was the only one who really reached out to me! That doesn't make it right! I know that! The fourth of July is Mom's favorite holiday and we were talking about her—AND I MISS HER! I WANT HER BACK! EVERYTHING FELL APART WHEN SHE LEFT ME ALONE!" She addressed the ceiling as she yelled, "HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME, MOM? WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME HERE ALL ALONE?" She was weeping uncontrollably as she finally collapsed onto the couch, rocking herself for comfort. Carly sat alongside her and drew her into her arms, continuing to rock her gently as she murmured, "Go ahead and cry it all out. I think this was a long time coming. Maybe somehow, this can end up being a good thing. It's ok. It's ok."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Now that she had begun, Valerie couldn't seem to stop crying. She felt all dignity was lost since she was half lying in her cousin's lap, being rocked like some kind of infant. Strangely, though, she felt comforted, although she couldn't stop weeping. When she felt she had enough control to speak, she sobbed, "I'm sorry I lied to you about Dante, Carly! When you mentioned the kiss, I should have told you the truth then but I couldn't!" "Listen, that wasn't a truth you owed me, ok?" Carly replied. She went on, "Don't worry about that now. Here, sit up. Come on, get up. Enough now, you'll make yourself sick. I want you to go upstairs and wash your face. I'm gonna make you some warm milk with a shot of brandy. I want you to drink it and then lie down. Get away from all this drama for a while."

Val smiled at Carly gratefully through her tears as she said, "Thanks for not listening when I told you you could leave. Thank you so much for staying." She let out another hiccupping breath and laughed slightly. "Now I have the grandfather of all headaches, which I guess I also deserve," she remarked. Carly laughed with her and replied, "I don't know about all that." She pointed at the stairs, saying, "Go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante thought about heading home after work before realizing no one would be there waiting for him. Somehow, facing that prospect right now didn't appeal to him and he mentally tossed around alternatives to going to a lonely loft. "Screw it," he said ultimately, "I'm going to Jake's."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante had the odd, inexplicable feeling that people were talking about him after he walked into Jake's and all conversation seemed to cease. When he looked around the bar, it also seemed as if all eyes were on him, as well. He approached the bar; Coleman glanced at him and promptly looked away again. He shook his head in bewilderment before requesting a beer, after which he wondered, "Yo, Coleman, what's up? Is it me, or am I just being paranoid? Why do I feel like everyone is staring at me?"

"Probably 'cause they are, man. If you're looking for your girl, she left already."

"My girl? My wife? You mean Lulu?"

"Who else?" Coleman paused as a thought crossed his mind, and then he said, "Well, I 'spose you could be looking for Valerie, too"

Dante cut his eyes toward the smirking bartender as he asked, "What exactly are you trying to say, Coleman?"

"Well," Coleman drawled, "There was quite a set-to in here earlier. Your little girl has a mean mouth on her, if you know what I mean. She went after her cousin like chewing glass wouldn't make her break a sweat, and it was all about you two sleeping together. The whole bar saw the show. Carly had to help Valerie get home after that smack down. Your girl don't play."

Putting his hand on top of his head in irritation, Dante exclaimed, "Damn! Dammit! Thanks, man. I'll see you later!"

"Hey, what about your beer?"

"Have it on me! Put it on my tab, ok?" Dante yelled over his shoulder as he ran out of the bar.

"Like you're doing me a favor! My brews are always free!" shouted Coleman in response.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Carly was descending the stairs after having delivered the hot milk toddy to Valerie. She paused to listen—it sounded like someone was at the front door. She moved closer, her lips tightening as she heard a familiar voice…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante's stomach felt full of lead. He raced from Jake's to Sonny's penthouse with a deep feeling of dread as well. Lulu did indeed have "a mean mouth on her" when she got wound up. There was no telling what she actually said to Valerie in front of a room filled with amused strangers. She must have been mortified! He rushed to park his car in the visitors' parking space and impatiently endured the elevator ride before finally getting to the penthouse floor. He approached the door and knocked. No answer. He rang the doorbell. Waited for a moment. Still no answer. Worriedly, he knocked louder. When he still got no response, he began to get frustrated. "Valerie!" he shouted. "I know you're in there! Come open the door! Look-" He was reaching up to knock again when the door was abruptly yanked open. Carly was standing there, a look of displeasure on her face.

"What are you doing here, Dante? What do you want?"

"Carly, hey." Dante motioned behind himself with his thumb. "I just came from Jake's, and Coleman told me-"

"And your first impulse was to come running over here? Not to your wife? What exactly are you doing, Dante? What do you want?"

"Look. I just wanted to make sure Valerie was all right, that's all. She must have been humiliated…"

"And that's your business how? Yeah, she had a rough time, but she's a strong girl—she'll be fine."

"Ok. Ok. I didn't want her to be alone, that's all-"

"She's not alone, Dante, I'm here. I'm still trying to figure out how any of this is your business, though. You shouldn't even be here. One way and another, you've done enough, don't you think? Go home, Dante. Or better yet, go find your wife. Just leave Valerie alone."

"Ok. You're right, she's not alone; you're here. Now that I know she's ok, I'll go. Thanks, Carly."

"WHAT ARE YOU THANKING ME FOR, DANTE? I told you, this isn't your business! You're all messed up, and you're messing up everybody around you! JUST GO HOME, OK!" She slammed the door in his face.

Dante leaned against the wall outside the penthouse and then briefly put his hands over his face. What the hell had he been thinking, racing over here as if he had the right to? He snorted out a scornful laugh—he actually agreed with Carly for once. He was messed up, and that was messing up the people around him. That needed to change.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

Dawn was breaking and the sun was slowly making its presence known throughout the loft, which caught Dante off guard. He realized that he had stayed awake all night thinking about his situation, and what his next move or moves should be. He had some hard decisions to make—for Lulu's sake, for Rocco's sake. And for Valerie's sake. His emotions were all over the place. One moment he was gut-wrenchingly sorry for how he had hurt his wife. He would allow the sorrow to wash over him as he realized he was an adulterer, a vow breaker. Falconeri men weren't vow breakers—he felt as if he had let his whole family down by his actions. He wondered how he could have allowed his alcohol-fueled anger to lead him to sleeping with Valerie. But then he would think that none of this would have happened if Lulu hadn't lied to him. He didn't have to react the way he did, but why did she have to lie to him? Why couldn't her desire to trust him have outweighed her need to obey her father? It was water under the bridge now, but that was still a sticking point for him. She was willing to lie to him because her father told her to, basically. He couldn't get past that. All night long his feelings fluctuated between anger and regret. Dante sat back and mentally reviewed his history with his wife. He thought about when he first met Lulu, and how he immediately fell for her. How he pursued her until he got her to say "yes" to him. Their breakups. Reconciliations. Their wedding. Finding out they couldn't have children. The custody fight with Maxie. Discovering their son. They had lived a lot of life in these last six years. A lot of life. But it was thinking over their history that had given him a resolution. He finally made a decision, the one he thought was the right one for them. One he hoped they could live with.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a few days later when Dante finally got up the courage to take the launch to Wyndemere after his texts and phone calls went ignored. He understood Lulu's anger and would never try to say she didn't have the right to it, but he wasn't going to continue to be dismissed. Plus he wanted to see his son. Dante thought poor Rocco must be so confused right now. Uprooted and removed from his home without notice, going days without seeing his father, probably wondering what the heck was going on. Join the club, baby. Join the club.

After the launch docked, Dante found himself standing nervously at the front entrance to his brother-in-law's mansion. Alfred answered the door before Dante could even knock or ring. Nikolas must have told Alfred to expect him. He eventually had to contact Nikolas to ask for permission to come out to Spoon Island to speak to his wife. Nikolas was initially reluctant to grant it but when Dante explained how his calls and texts were going unnoticed, Nik relented, gave him a set time when he thought Lulu would be home, and told him to come ahead. Dante was shown to the drawing room and asked to wait for "Miss Lulu, who would be arriving directly." He felt as though he was in the middle of a Victorian novel listening to Alfred's cultured voice, which, in spite of the situation, made him smile faintly.

Carrying Rocco on her hip, Lulu finally entered the room. She didn't look pleased to see him, a reaction he expected. Dante smiled when he saw his son and he reached out for him and said, "Hey buddy! How've you been? Oh, I've missed you! It's good to see you!" Hugging him closely, Dante took in the scent of baby powder and milk that was, to him, uniquely Rocco. After giving his son a kiss and another hug, Dante eventually addressed Lulu. "Lulu. How have you been?"

"I've been great, Dante. Having a wonderful time, as if I was on vacation or something," she responded, semi-sarcastically. She went on, "You look well, too. Cheating must agree with you."

"I really don't want to say these kinds of things in front of Rocco, Lulu, ok? Not saying you don't have the right to say them, just not in front of our son. Please."

"Fine." Lulu walked over to a phone on the sofa table behind one of the couches in the room and pressed a button. She waited for a moment and then spoke into the phone, saying, "Norma? Could you come down and take Rocco back to the nursery, please? Thank you." To Dante she said, "Norma is Spencer's nanny, sort of. He's too old for a true nanny but she's been with him since he was a baby. I don't know why I'm telling you this…"

"So she's helping you look after Rocco? That's good. It must be nice to have the extra help with him."

"Well she can't exactly replace his father, but then again, who knows? Maybe she can. I guess we'll have to see."

Norma walked into the room and after acknowledging Dante with a nod of her head, she took Rocco from his arms and left. Immediately, Dante felt bereft as he stood there with empty arms. He wanted so badly to recall her to the room and take his son back, but he knew he and Lulu desperately needed to talk. He took a deep breath as he geared up for what he felt would be quite a confrontation.

"Ok, he's gone," Lulu said, "so you might as well say what you came here to say. I didn't want to see you; there was a reason I was ignoring your many calls and texts. Nikolas, however, insisted that I speak to you. I told him I would, so…"

Dante gestured to the couch and asked, "Could we sit, do you think?"

"Sure," Lulu replied, "let's get all comfy and cozy."

"So you're still feeling hostile, then? I think we need to talk, but it might be difficult if you plan to be snarky the whole time."

Looking up at the ceiling, Lulu laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Snarky? Don't I have the right to be snarky? I'm sorry you think I'm being snarky. Really, I think I'm being kind of contained, though. There is that part of me that still loves you. But the rest of me, the most of me, just wants to rip your face off. I can't believe you had the nerve to come all the way out here when it was pretty clear I didn't want to see you or talk to you."

"Any ETA on when you might have wanted to speak to me? Or if you and Rocco are coming back to the loft? I didn't want to come all the way out here but I didn't feel like I had a choice since you were ignoring me."

"Back to the cheating cheaters' love nest? I can give you an ETA on when I'll be returning there with my son right now. Try never. You screwed my cousin in our home, in our bed. I have no intentions of ever going back there."

"So are you saying you don't ever plan to come back to the loft, or that you didn't plan to come back to me?"

Lulu sighed and looked away for a moment. Finally she said, "I don't know if I see any way back from this. I don't know if I can trust in you, or in us, anymore. You broke our vows, you slept with my cousin, and you lied and said all you'd done is kiss, as if that wasn't bad enough. Frankly, I don't see where we go from here."

"I agree."

"So what I'm thinking is—wait a minute, what?"

"I'm agreeing with you. I've given this a lot of thought, done a lot of soul-searching. I don't see any way forward, either."

She gave him an incredulous look of disbelief. "What exactly are you saying right now? You think we should split up?"

"You just said you don't see any way back from this for us. I'm saying I think you're right."

"So that's it, huh? You're not even willing to fight for us? Just 'I agree with you.' It's that easy, right? You're just done, is that it?"

"Hold on a second. Didn't you just say—ohh, ok. Yeah. I get it now."

"You get what?"

Dante sat forward on the couch and folded his hands in front of him. Mentally, he tried to gear up. Here comes the hardest part, he thought. He searched for the right words, the best words to express his feelings. "When couples have been together for a while, they can find themselves getting into ruts, into patterns. Not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes, it can be. We have our own pattern, and it goes like this—I screw up, you run, I haul you back. Time passes; then, in your eyes, I screw up, you run, I haul you back again. That has been our history from the beginning."

"That's not true, Dante!"

"Are you sure? Do you know how many times over the years you've left me? You left me over Brenda, you left me over Lucky. You left me and gave me back my ring after I went back to work to clear my mother's name. My mother was suspected of **murdering** Lisa Niles, but I had promised you I'd take it easy after getting shot and I went back to work anyway, and that was worth leaving me over. You left me when I wouldn't lie at the custody hearing."

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before going on, "When we met, I chased you. Maybe it was the challenge or the fact that it seemed like we had our own push/pull going on, but I enjoyed the chase. But I feel like I've been chasing you ever since."

"You make it sound like we weren't ever happy, Dante! Or like I was never really committed to you and was always leaving you! And we both know that's not true! I let you convince me to get married to you because I was committed to you! We've had our ups and downs like any couple, but we were mostly stable and happy! All the way up until you screwed my cousin!"

"'All the way up until I screwed your cousin?' How about all the way up until you lied to me! How about all the way up until you stopped trusting me? Is all of this really just on me? Is that the way you see it?"

"Are you trying to say that me lying to you and going to Canada is as bad as you sleeping with Valerie? No way are you saying that! They're not even in the same ballpark!"

Sighing, Dante tried to explain, "I committed adultery. It was wrong, the worst kind of wrong. But I never would have done it if I had known the truth about what you were really doing with Dillon. If you hadn't lied, things wouldn't have gotten this far."

"So you're saying I made you cheat on me!"

"No, baby, that's not what I'm saying! Simply put, one action was the causative root of the other. I wouldn't have cheated on you with Valerie if I'd known the truth, if you hadn't lied to me."

"You are saying it's my fault!"

"We're starting to talk in circles, Lulu! I was wrong, I admit it, ok! I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I did! But I didn't mess this up alone!"

"That's the first time you've said it."

"Said what?"

"That you were sorry for what you did."

"Well, it's the first time since you found out that I've been able to talk to you! I am sorry that I did what I did. It shouldn't have happened. And I know you apologized for lying about Canada. But somehow, I get the feeling that in your eyes, I'm the only one at fault. You realize and will admit you shouldn't have lied, but that's it. The rest of the responsibility for our marriage falling apart is on me."

"Because you're the one who cheated, Dante! Don't you get that?"

"What I get is that there's a gulf between us and it's getting wider and wider. You're not going to be able to let this go. You would try, you would say you forgave me eventually, but the next time I did something you didn't appreciate, you'd be on the run again, and I'd be expected to chase after you. I cheated. That makes me a cheater. But that's not all I am, and that's not even all I've been to you. But I feel like in your eyes, that's all I can ever be now. From now on, everything I ever do will be tainted by that one act. Maybe I deserve to, but I don't want to wear a hair shirt for the rest of my life. I don't want to be made to pay for the rest of my life for this one totally wrong act. And maybe you do deserve to be chased, but see, despite what I've done, I feel like I deserve to be chased, too. And I don't think you believe that. So I don't see any way forward for us."

Tears formed in Lulu's eyes, tears she willed not to fall as she said, "So what you're saying is that we're really over? Because you're tired of chasing me? And because even though I did apologize for lying about going to Canada and for not trusting you with my brother's life, I'm still just as wrong as you were even though you cheated on me. That's how it is, right?"

"Because I'm tired of always being the one in the wrong. Of being the one who deserves to be left. You tell me, though, which is worse in your eyes? What you did or what I did?" Lulu didn't answer him. It wasn't that she couldn't answer him, but she knew what he wanted her to say, and she couldn't say it.

Dante gave a sad little chuckle. "You see? Thanks for not lying about it. I see us as equally at fault, and you see me as mostly at fault. We'll never agree here. Everything else for the rest of our lives would be colored by that one fact, and I just don't see any way around that. Do you?"

Lulu shook her head as she replied, "I can't believe we're here. You promised me we'd be old and grey together. I gave you my heart because I trusted in that promise. I can't believe we're where we are right now."

"I wanted us to have forever," he sadly said. "I wanted to honor that promise. If you had told me this time last year that we'd be here, I would have laughed in your face, that's how sure I was about our future. But we're here now, and I don't see any other way forward but to let go." He reached in his pocket for his wallet from which he pulled out a card; he handed it to her. "I've been doing some research, and I think this guy can help us."

Lulu looked at the card in her hand. "Joseph Stewart, J.D.—Divorce Mediation," she read and then glanced over at him. "Wow," she said, "you really had no intentions of working things out, did you?"

"I thought long and hard about everything. I just kept running into the same walls. We're too far apart on what happened to us and how and why it happened. I want to do the right thing for us, for Rocco. I thought a mediator was the right way to go."

"Of course it helps to move forward when you have someone waiting in the wings, doesn't it?"

"This isn't about Valerie, Lulu. It's about you and me, and Rocco's future. About making the best choices for all of us going forward."

"Sure. If you say so."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

Lying on the couch in the loft after returning from Wyndemere, Dante was feeling a keen sense of loss. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally. He and Lulu realized they were at an impasse; there didn't seem to be any way to get around it. Her responsibility in this mess was minimal in her eyes, and he just didn't see it that way. They also realized there was no point in discussing it further. Dante was shown to the nursery where he was able to spend a few minutes with Rocco before his son's bedtime. He got the chance to tuck him in and give him a good night kiss. He had a hard time forcing himself to walk away from Rocco, but for now, it was for the best. After he and Lulu had worked out custody… He couldn't even believe that was something he had to think about—shared custody of his child.

He hugged one of the sofa pillows for comfort but he still couldn't sleep. For the last few days, he found himself avoiding the bed altogether. Which was crazy. He'd been back in it since he and Valerie had—he put a halt to that thought. Ever since Lulu found out about what he and Valerie had done, though, he'd been unable to sleep in the bed. Guilty conscience or something else?

He continued to toss to and fro on the couch. He stared up at the ceiling. He turned on the television—turned it off again. Nothing he did could settle him. Finally, he looked down at his cell phone, and made a decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Valerie realized after two hours of restlessness that she wasn't going to get the good night's sleep she so craved, she allowed herself to have one shot glass of brandy, then she climbed back into bed with one of her Victorian melodramas. She thought she was reading but she must have been dozing off because what brought her back to full awareness was her cell phone buzzing. She picked it up and looked at the screen. It was a text from Dante.

D: Hey, Val. U awake?

Valerie wondered if she should ignore it and let him think she was indeed asleep. Then she thought of all the ways he had been there for her, and if he was reaching out, there must be a reason for it.

V: Yeah. Y r u still up?

D: Can't sleep. Jus got back frm Spoon Isl.

V: Oh. U ok?

D: Not really. Lulu n I talked 2nite.

V: How'd that go?

D: We're over. Gonna split up.

V: I'm sorry

D: Really?

V: Yes. I no u love her

D: Yeah. Luv's not always enuf, tho, is it?

V: Sumtimes no. It's hard..

D: Most worried 4 Rocco. Not fair 2 him.

V: He'll b ok. We only had 1 parent at home-we're ok.

D: True

V: It's good he's young

D: Yeah. He won't remember

Valerie had more that she wanted to say but it was hard for her to put her thoughts in text form. She hesitated for a moment, and then decided to call him. "Hey," Dante said, "I was fine with the texting. You didn't have to call me."

"I wanted to call you. Talking about things like this through texts is difficult. How are you, really?"

"I really don't know. I think we're making the right choice, the best one for us right now. But I never thought in a million years I'd be making this kind of decision. I'm so hurt for Rocco's sake. I wanted him to have a two-parent home, something I never had. I really wanted him to have a solid home life."

"Dante, we had a solid home life, even though it was just us and our moms. Even if you and Lulu aren't living together, you both will make sure Rocco doesn't miss out on having two parents in his life. You both want what's best for him. That makes him luckier than most. You're a good dad. As long as you two don't let him become a pawn in a nasty divorce, he should be fine."

"Thanks for that. I know you're right—eventually, it'll be ok. I'm just disappointed for him."

"What else is on your mind?"

"I never thought I'd ever be the kind of man who could hurt Lulu the way I did. It's all so messed up. She refuses to take any ownership for her part in all this."

"What do you mean? She told you she was sorry she lied, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did, but she thinks that if I hadn't cheated on her, we'd still be ok. We wouldn't be, though. I still can't get over how she lied to my face! She's actually left me more than once over secrets I kept from her for other people, but it was ok for her to lie to me. And the real, to-the-gut reason she was willing to believe I couldn't be trusted with her brother's life, I'll never know. We're both very angry with each other."

"Anger fades, Dante. What's left after the anger passes is what matters, isn't it?"

"The bottom line is, in my opinion, she set this all in motion when she lied to me. What I did wasn't right, but what she did wasn't right, either. As long as she refuses to own that, there's no point-" Dante paused for a minute and thought about what he was really doing, what he was saying, and to whom. "Hey, is it ok that I'm talking to you about all this? I just started in without thinking about how you might feel hearing it-"

"Before anything else, we're friends, aren't we? If I didn't want to hear it, I wouldn't have answered your text. And I know you feel that what we did was a mistake, one you're sorry for-"

"I am sorry. I should be sorry. Part of me is sorry, but another part of me—I don't know." Valerie decided to let what he said pass because she didn't know how to respond. What exactly was he saying?

Dante paused for a moment when he realized she didn't acknowledge his last comment and apparently wasn't planning to. He went on, "What were you doing when I texted you? Why weren't you sleeping?"

"I just couldn't sleep—my brain wouldn't shut off. I was reading a book. At least, I think I was reading. I may have been nodding off. I'm still not sure," she laughed.

"So I woke you up? I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep myself, and I know sometimes you have a hard time sleeping, too, so I took a chance that you'd still be awake. I shouldn't have bothered you…"

"Dante, don't apologize, ok? I told you, I had the choice to ignore you if I didn't want to be bothered. You've supported me so many times that I don't have any problem returning the favor for a change. We insomniacs have to stick together, right?" Her voice drifted off, and Dante realized she was beginning to fall asleep even while talking to him. He chuckled softly. At least this conversation had done someone besides him some good. He tried to get her attention by calling her name. "Val? Hey, Val?" She awoke instantly, apologetically murmuring, "Oh, Dante, I drifted off—I'm sorry! What were you saying? I missed the last part."

"There was no last part. I stopped talking because you fell asleep."

"Oops. Go ahead and finish what you were going to say."

"No need. Listen, there's only a few hours left before we both have to be at work. You go back to sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, sleepyhead. I'll see you in the morning. And Val?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

"Any time. I mean that."

"I know you do. Back atcha."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Dante and his partner were sitting in Dante's car on a stakeout on the lower south side of Port Charles. A suspect in a robbery was reported to be hanging out in this particular pool hall, so Dante and Nathan were waiting to see if he would show up there. After two hours of sitting still, Dante began getting restless. "Are you sure," he finally asked his partner, "this is the right place? I have a feeling you were misled. Joey Robbs is probably long gone, and we're wasting our time here." Joe "Joey Robbs" Scartone was a well-known "alleged" robber who had been frustrating the PCPD for years with his ability to evade arrest.

"Scribbs is usually pretty accurate about what's going on down here. If he says Robbs has been hanging around here, he has been." Scribbs was a panhandler who, according to him, used to be a writer in his former life. Now he was the eyes and ears of all happenings on the lower south side of town, and one of Nathan's snitches. Nathan looked at Dante with puzzlement and asked, "What's up with you? I know stakeouts are the worst, but if we end up catching sight of Robbs, it'll be worth it. You're not usually so antsy, though."

Dante slouched down in his seat before running his hands over his face and sighing, "Another sleepless night. I need some more coffee, but I've been peeing like a racehorse all day. I'm beat, and the day isn't even half over."

"So who are you losing sleep over? Lulu or Valerie?"

"Ah, man, don't say it like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like I'm playin' them off against each other or something! It's not like that at all!"

"Dude, I'M not the one saying it is! All I did was ask a question. You're the one going off the deep end and assuming I meant something I didn't mean."

"You're right. Sorry. I talked to Lulu yesterday. We pretty much admitted we're over. We're gonna make an appointment with a divorce mediator. Yep. Pretty much a done deal. Still can't believe it, though."

"Man, I'm sorry. Are you seriously saying there's no way to work this out? No way to save it? What you guys have-"

"What we have is over. We screwed it up together, but it depends on who you ask just where the actual fault lies. She can't see my side of things. I can see hers, but I'm not going to be the only one bending. Not this time. I'm tired of feeling like I'm the only one who compromises in our relationship."

"No relationship is ever a one-way street, Dante. You know that. I'm sure she's compromised plenty of times."

"Sure, ok. But over the big stuff, the junk that really matters? I beg, she relents and grants me her forgiveness. I'm tired of it. Of course she doesn't see it that way, but that's the way I feel. I was just telling Val-"

"Yeah, I was wondering when she was gonna show up-"

"Meanin' what?"

"Look, I'm just saying if you want to save your marriage, keeping Valerie on the line, even as a friend, isn't gonna help. That's all."

"Well I'll tell you one thing—Rocco and Valerie are the only ones keeping me grounded right now. She's been a source of support for me, that's for sure."

"Not to mention the reason you're in this mess in the first place."

"Look! Whose side are you on, anyway? Valerie isn't the reason for this mess! I'm the reason! Lulu's the reason! Valerie's just incidental-"

"She's more than that, or else you wouldn't be all messed up over her."

"Whatever. All I'm sayin' is my wife lied to me and kicked off all this crap. Valerie and I—hell, I don't know." Dante closed his eyes and leaned his head against the car window. "I don't wanna talk about it anymore, ok? Just keep an eye out for Robbs. I'm gonna knock off for a minute." He was tired, true, but he also wasn't quite ready to face the hard question about what Valerie really meant to him. Because, he finally admitted to himself, she was beginning to mean more and more by the day…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lulu dropped Rocco off at his daycare and then headed for the PCPD that morning. She knew Dante had mentioned talking to a divorce mediator but she, after rethinking all night long, wasn't totally sure she was ready to give up on her marriage. What she had done in lying to Dante was wrong, but what he did was way worse. She thought that maybe with time, though, she could forgive him for sleeping with her cousin. Maybe they really should try to talk to a counselor first. She had come to that decision last night, and she wanted to see if he might have come to a similar conclusion. She entered the station and was about to ask the duty officer where Dante was when she and Valerie made eye contact. She expected Val to look away guiltily like she had been doing lately whenever they saw each other, but Val stared her down. This, against her will, began to make her blood boil. The haughty little witch, she thought, and approached her cousin, saying, "Everywhere I go! There's really no escaping you, is there?"

"Not here at least, since this is where I work. I guess you forgot that."

"Yes, you made sure of that, didn't you? Because this was the only place in all of Port Charles where you could find a job! All part of your stalking plan to get close to my husband, right?"

"That's right, Lulu. I actually created the position, fired the person who had the job before me, then interviewed and hired myself. All to be near Dante. Had nothing to do with the fact that I have a degree in Criminology and needed a job. Nope, all part of my wicked plan."

"I wouldn't put it past you, you little tramp! I think you would have done-"

"What's going on here?" Jordan approached the two women as she walked from the hallway to the squad room. "I can hear you two all the way down the hall."

Lulu tried to compose herself and answered first. "I just came here to see my husband, but this bi-"

Jordan cut her off mid-speech. "Ok, look, Dante isn't here right now, he's on a stakeout. You're welcome to sit quietly at his desk and wait, or you can leave. What you can't do is come into my station and start harassing my people. This is a place of business. I don't think your husband would appreciate hearing that you came into his place of work and caused a scene, do you, Mrs. Falconeri? Let's all behave like adults here. Valerie, have you sent the memorandum I asked you to type up and send to the Mayor yet?"

"I'm working on that now, Commish. But I did want to consult you about something you wanted mentioned-"

"Fine. Walk with me." Jordan inclined her head in Lulu's direction. "Mrs. Falconeri." She and Valerie walked down the hall together.

Lulu was embarrassed when she realized that not only had she been dismissed, but several of the officers in the squad room were studiously avoiding her gaze. Dante was going to be pissed when he heard about this, which wouldn't help her cause at all. Gathering what was left of her dignity, she left the station after deciding to speak to Dante in a more private setting.

When they were out of earshot, Jordan asked Val, "What did you want to clarify with me?" "Nothing really," Val answered, "I just wanted to thank you for running interference with Lulu." "You're welcome. She can't go after her husband like that but she feels safe going after you. I don't like that. If she starts making a habit of that whenever she comes here, let me know." "Thanks again, Commish. I appreciate the backup," Val replied gratefully. It was good to know not everyone in town thought she was a home-wrecking tramp…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

There was a Yankee game on the tube that night, and Dante looked forward to vegging out on the sofa with a couple of beers, enjoying his boys, and emptying his mind. He stopped short outside the loft when he saw Lulu standing there waiting for him after his shift ended. He thought they had said everything they'd intended to say; he suddenly remembered hearing when he got back to the station after the unsuccessful stakeout that she had come by looking for him. He smiled faintly at her as he unlocked the door and invited her in. "Don't you still have your key?" he asked. "Why didn't you just wait for me inside? You didn't have to wait in the hallway. And by the way, where's Rocco? You didn't bring him with you?"

"Somehow, it didn't feel right for me to come in without your permission. I know it's silly, but that's the way I felt. This doesn't feel like my home anymore, so I thought I should wait outside. Rocco's back at Wyndemere with Norma. I would have brought him with me but I wanted to talk to you, Dante. I've been doing some more thinking-"

He gestured to the couch and they both sat down. Her eyes skittered around the room before lighting on the bed. She closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth in an attempt to dislodge the images forming in her head. He noticed her action as he rose from the couch and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He offered one to her as well, which she gratefully accepted. Her mouth was dry because she was nervous—so much was riding on this discussion…

"I heard you came by the station looking for me," Dante finally stated into the silence.

"Yeah, about that. I didn't mean to cause a scene at your workplace. I'm sorry. I saw Valerie, and I let my temper get the best of me."

"Well she does work there so you might want to avoid coming down to the shop if you don't want to run into her."

"I shouldn't have to avoid the station just because she's there! I've known those guys for years—some of them are friends! Why should I have to-"

"I'm not saying you have to, Lulu. I'm saying if you can't see Val without getting angry or causing a scene, you might want to meet me somewhere else, that's all. This whole thing is bad enough without it coming into my job—and yes, I know that since she works there, it's already coming into my job. I just don't want any extra drama, Lulu. That's all I meant." Lulu didn't like the tone their discussion was taking, so she said, "Let's change the subject, ok? Like I said earlier, I've been doing some thinking. I think we should talk to a counselor before going to a mediator after all."

"Really? You were pretty definite last night that you couldn't trust or believe in us anymore. What's changed?"

"Listen, I know we both screwed up, and this thing with Valerie was kind of big—it threw me for a loop. I've had time to calm down, though. It really hurts, Dante, but I think with time, I can let it go. I want to be able to forgive you and move on. I'm willing to try. If we talk to a counselor-"

Dante was nodding his head as he listened to what she was saying. He was right with her until the last part. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head before shocking her with, "Maybe I don't want to be forgiven."

"You don't mean that. You couldn't possibly be serious about that."

"It was a knee-jerk response but the more I think about it, the more I realize there's some truth behind it."

"Oh, explain that if you can! And make it make sense, please!"

"Ok. We both messed up here—we both acknowledge that, right?"

"Ok?"

"Ok. You lied to me. For you, telling the truth is so crucial and important that you've left me more than once when you felt I had been dishonest. That tells me you shouldn't have been able to lie to me. If honesty is so important to you, you shouldn't have been able to mislead me about what you were doing in Canada. But you did. That tells me that you feel it's all right if you lie to me, but not if I lie to you."

"Dante, that's not what I'm saying at all-"

"Isn't it? If lying is wrong, it's wrong, isn't it, no matter who's doing the lying. But that isn't how you see it. You feel justified because you feel you had reasons for what you did. Just like I felt I had reasons for misleading you in the past, reasons that didn't matter to you when you left me."

"What exactly are you trying to say here?"

"That I think you think you're more important than I am in this relationship. That-"

"You're reaching! You're reaching! That's crazy, Dante! I've never said that, or even thought it! Our relationship is built on mutual respect and trust—at least it was! I've never thought of myself of more than or better than you in our marriage!"

Then why is it tolerable for you to lie, but not me? Why do I deserve to be left over lies, but you deserve to be forgiven? And speaking of forgiveness, YOU'RE willing to try to forgive ME? As if you don't need forgiveness yourself? You asked me more than once to forgive you until you found out about me and Valerie. Then all of a sudden, you no longer needed my forgiveness. Why? Didn't you still do something wrong?"

"Because-"

"I know. Because what I did is worse than what you did, in your eyes. What I did cancels out what you did and the part you played in this whole mess. Because I cheated, I'm mostly responsible for the damage, while your part is smaller, and shrinking by the day. I get it. I just don't agree with it, is all. Which puts us right back where we ended yesterday—on opposite sides of this thing."

"You're right. Ok, I can admit that. You cheated on me and that feels way bigger than any lie I told. I don't think I'll ever be able to see it the way you see it. I want to forgive you but you seem to find just the fact of me saying that offensive. I don't know what else to say, except it feels as though we'll never see eye to eye on this. So that's it, then. We really are over." She sighed and then laughed shortly. "Wow," she ultimately whispered, "what a way to go out. A whimper instead of a bang. I guess all that's left to do now is meet with the mediator. And work out custody of Rocco."

She stood up from the couch and he stood with her, walking her to the door. "Oh," she said abruptly, "and I guess there's this-" She handed him her key to the loft, saying, "I don't think I'll be needing this anymore."

He nodded as he took the key from her hand and laid it on the kitchen counter. She turned back once more before walking out the door and looked at him. "I really did—do—love you, you know. I'm sorry we can't seem to fix this."

"Yeah. I love you, too, but sometimes love isn't enough. I never understood how that could be possible until now." He watched her walk away and felt a crushing sadness invade his whole body. After reentering the loft, he closed the door and leaned his head against it, fighting back his tears. "I need to get out of here. I can't be here right now," he muttered as he left, slamming the door behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wine glass in hand, Valerie curiously answered the door after the doorbell pealed. "Oh, Dante, hey. What're you doing here? Come in, come in." She ushered him into the penthouse as she asked him, "Is everything ok? Only you didn't call first-"

"I'm sorry—I should have checked with you before just barging in. I just left the loft—I had to get out of there—so I got in my car and drove. Ended up here. Were you busy? I don't want to disturb you if you're in the middle of something…"

"Nope, not busy at all. It's just me, a bottle of your father's 2007 Gaja Barbaresco—he has excellent taste in wines, by the way—and this-" She gestured to the television where a soccer match was under way.

"You watch soccer? I didn't know that." He sat down on the couch opposite the screen to see who was playing.

"I'm not a devotee the way you are with the Yankees, but I enjoy watching a match every now and then. I don't really have a favorite team; I just like watching them play. I think soccer is one of the most physical sports there is. I can't even imagine being in that good of shape, the way they run back and forth through the whole game! It's amazing. Speaking of the Yankees, you know there's a game on, right? I figured you'd be sprawled out on the couch by now with your eyes glued. What's up?"

"Trust me—I know. That was my original plan but Lulu was waiting for me at the loft when I got there. We talked again. I think she gets where I'm coming from now, but I don't think I can take much more of these 'talks' that just go 'round and 'round. We're just so far apart. I don't even want to deal with it anymore. I just wanted to escape for a while, and I ended up here. Sorry again for busting up your alone time."

"Don't worry about it. Want some wine?" Valerie pointed at the bottle. "I can get an extra glass."

"Sure, that'd be great. Thanks."

"You know," she said over her shoulder as she went into the dining area to retrieve another glass from the china cabinet, "I looked up how much this wine costs on average, and it isn't cheap, so I hope you appreciate it. And looking at some of the other selections he has in his wine racks, this was one of the cheapest ones!"

"That's Sonny, all right. He always goes for the best, no question."

She came back into the living/dining area and poured some wine into the glass she'd brought and then handed it to him. "Tell me what you think."

He tasted it and pronounced, "It's good. It's not overwhelming. I think I'm getting something other than grapes, though. Raspberries?"

"You have a good nose, sir. I looked it up online, and you are correct. One of the reviews I read said 'the wine reveals itself slowly at first and doles out small aromas of wild berry, licorice, root beer, smoke and graphite that become magically more intense with time in the glass' and some other high-brow stuff. I think I opened it too early, though—it didn't 'fully mature'. I hope that's ok with your father."

"I'm sure it would be. Max told you you had use of whatever was here, didn't he? That includes the wine. He has another collection at Greystone—I'm sure that's where he keeps the ones he's holding as investments."

She picked up the remote control and changed the channel to the Yankee-Twins game, causing Dante to laugh as he shook his head. He said, "Thanks, but you didn't have to do that. I come into your place, drink your wine, and take over your time and television. You don't have to be so considerate. Especially since I didn't even call first and get your permission."

"It's fine; you needed an outlet, and you came to me. I'm glad I could be that for you. Plus the match had ended right before you came in. Poor USA. Oh, well, maybe next year, huh?"

"They were only playing for third place, weren't they? Not a great loss, then…"

"How can you say that and call yourself a sportsman? Third place is better than no place! If we were talking about your beloved Yankees-"

"If we were talking about my Yankees and third place, what I'd be saying wouldn't be fit for your delicate little ears! I'm like a madman when they lose, especially games they should have won. And don't let me be in the stadium! I'm one of those fools they try to catch on the Jumbotron. If we ever get the chance to go to a game, you'll see me in action, and you'll be embarrassed to know me!" He realized too late what he was implying; they were both taken aback by his words and the meaning behind them. He cleared his throat to get past the awkwardness before going on, "Anyway, what I was trying to say was thanks for putting the game on, and for putting up with me for the night. I mean, for right now. Maybe I should just shut up, drink my wine, and watch the game, huh?"

"No, it's funny to see you so flustered—you're usually so squared away. Ooh, and judging by the current score, I think I might get to see some of what you were talking about. They're not doing so well right now, are they?"

He finally paid some attention to the screen and let out a groan. "There's NO WAY we're losing to the Twins! It's not possible! I'm forbidding it! But I know my boys will turn this around. No way are we losing to the Twins…"

"Well their records are pretty similar, Dante. They're equally matched. I dunno. Your boys are having it rough tonight," she laughingly said.

"Listen, Missy, you'd better get on the bandwagon! Only Yankee supporting allowed! And how do you know about their record anyway if you're not a fan?"

"I can read, you know. I might not be a Yankee fan, but I can spend a couple of hours on ESPN with the best of 'em. I'll admit I was curious to know why you think they're so special, so I looked into some game history. I can see why you're impressed."

"My love of the Yanks goes beyond what you can read on any site. It goes back to the neighborhood, with Lieutenant Poletti and my Uncle Phil taking us little kids out to a game. It's stickball in the streets, trying to be the next Reggie Jackson or Mariano Rivera, refusing to quit even after the streetlights have come on and our parents are yelling for us all to get out of the street and come inside. It's everything. I can't wait to share all that with Rocco-" he abruptly stopped talking when reality came rushing back.

"Don't worry. No matter what happens, you'll get the chance to share everything you want with your son. I'm sure you'll turn him into as big a nut for the Yankees as you are. It's all about tradition, and that has nothing to do with marital status. If you put in the time to make it happen, it'll happen."

Taking another sip of wine, Dante asked, "If you're not into baseball, what, besides soccer, does it for you?"

"Dance. Interpretive dance, contemporary dance, ballet. Do you like ballet? Ahh, La Bayadere, Swan Lake! It's so easy to get lost in the artistry, the gracefulness, the story told through the dance… I thought about becoming a ballerina once upon a time. It's a strict, disciplined life, though. And I'm too big to be a ballerina."

Without thinking about what he was doing, Dante sized her up as he looked up and down her body. He said, "I don't see how you think you're big at all! You're not even tall until you're in those heels you insist on wearing! Petite, more like."

"Have you seen a ballerina up close? They're tiny. I know my limitations! Doesn't mean I can't enjoy the medium, though. For me, dance is Saturday afternoons with my mom on the couch, watching ballet on PBS. She took me to the Merriam Theater once—that was the first time I saw The Nutcracker live. It was glorious! I think my mom was just as into it as I was! Two little kids seeing their first ballet together. I think as she got weaker and weaker, she was hoping I would pursue dance as a career because of the control of the body it requires. I think she thought the more I could control MY body, the less it mattered that she couldn't control hers. Or something like that. It wasn't meant to be, though. Do you like ballet?"

"I like opera. I've never been to a ballet that I can remember. I've seen a couple on tv, I think, when I was real small."

"Opera. You? Ok."

"What? I can't like opera? I'll have you know real men love the opera! One of my aunts turned me on to it and I've been a fan ever since. Talk about beauty in expressions! You don't even have to understand Italian or German to get the gist of the story. Every gesture explains itself."

"Wow. You getting all rapturous over opera. Wild."

"Oh, so now you're ready to take away my manhood card or something?"

"Not possible," she replied, letting her tongue speak faster than her mind could think. She went on, "What I meant was-"

"No, don't clean it up. Let me imagine you meant what it sounded like you meant."

"That's dangerous thinking, Dante."

"I know. Maybe it's the wine talking." They held each other's gazes and he suddenly said, "I'm getting kind of warm here. I'm gonna blame that on the wine, too. Why are you still staring at me?"

"Because you're staring at me." She bit and licked her bottom lip, which drew his attention and caused him to lick his own.

"Stop that," he said.

"Why?"

"Just because. One of us needs to look away here."

"You're the one ignoring the Yankees. Count of three? One, two, three." She turned her eyes back to the game. She could see through her peripheral vision that he hadn't yet turned away. "You're still staring at me."

"I know I am. Tell me to knock it off."

"Dante. Knock it off." He shifted his body and tried to pay attention to the game while she took another sip of wine.

"They've almost caught up to the Twins. You're not even paying attention."

"I know that, too. This is a problem. My beloved Yankees are on tv playing a hot, tight game, and I'm not interested because I'm sitting on the couch next to you. I think we need some kind of safe word, or phrase, or something," he muttered.

"What are you talking about?" she laughingly asked him. "A safe word?"

"Yeah. I came over here because I didn't want to be alone. You were kind enough to put the game on for me. My favorite team is playing. And I can't be bothered to watch because all I want to do is-"

"Is what?"

"Never mind. I'm just gonna scoot over here to the end of the couch. My neutral corner. That's my safe phrase—'neutral corners'. It's getting too hot in here for me. Full disclosure. I want to kiss you right now. I don't have the right to, I'm not going to, but I'm letting you know that's why I'm moving to the end of the couch." He finished the last of the wine in his glass and sat the empty glass on the coffee table in front of him.

"Do you want more?" she queried.

"More what? More wine? No, I'd better not. I'm having a hard enough time focusing as it is. My boys have tied the score and I'm not even paying attention. This is all your fault."

"My fault? How? You're the one staring at me!"

"Because you started staring at me!"

"You're the one who started it, Dante! Trust me, when I start something, you'll know!"

"Don't start something you'll be afraid to finish, Valerie. Just don't."

"And suddenly I don't think we're talking about a staring contest any more, are we? Anything I start, I'm planning to finish."

"God, girl, the things you say! I can't ever tell whether you're joking or not!"

"Don't test me. That's the fastest way to find out whether I'm joking or not. Hey, it looks like your boys are going to win the game, after all."

"Way to deflect. I didn't doubt it for a second. They're the comeback kids." He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "What a long day it's been. I'm burnt." He leaned more fully into the couch and put his head back on the cushion.

"You're going to miss the end of the game doing that. You'll probably fall asleep."

"If I do, just kick me awake, ok? I want to close my eyes for a minute."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante awoke slowly, laughing softly as he stared up at the ceiling. He must have fallen asleep after all, as Valerie had predicted. His laughter turned to puzzlement when he realized he was on his back on the couch with his head in Valerie's lap. He thought he remembered putting his head back on the sofa—how did he end up here? It seemed as though the game had long been over—it was the bottom of the 9th and the Yanks were ahead, last he saw. He turned his head and glanced at Valerie. She was propped up in the corner of the couch, her hand supporting her head as she dozed. He reached up and gently stroked her cheek which caused her to sigh and fully awaken. She yawned hugely and stretched her arms above her head as she said, "Who's the sleepyhead now? You conked out a while ago. I told you you'd miss the end of the game." She looked down at him, smiling.

"How did I get here?"

"You fell asleep at the other end of the couch at first, and then you moved to my shoulder. You get heavier and heavier the deeper you sleep, so I maneuvered you to my lap. It seemed to be the more comfortable position for us both."

"That's fine—I was just wondering. Sorry I fell asleep on you."

"No big deal. You must have been really tired."

"I was. Thanks for letting me sleep."

"You're welcome."

He sat up, leaned over into her, and softly kissed her lips. He used the arm of the couch for balance and support as he deepened the kiss. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. Their breathing became labored as their tongues dueled and danced. She let out a little moan, and he whispered against her lips, "Tell me to stop, Valerie. Tell me to stop." He began kissing her again.

"Why should I?"

"Because one of us here has to be thinkin' straight. It should be me, but- Oh, God, I mean it, Val! Tell me to stop."

She put her hand on his chest and pushed him back slightly. Staring at his lips, she licked her own, which caused him to groan aloud. "You're right," she finally uttered, "one of has to be clearheaded. I wish we didn't have to, but we should probably stop."

"Thank you." He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. "Whoa," he went on, "that was almost outta control. I didn't mean for that to happen. I don't yet have the right to let stuff like that happen."

"Do you regret it?"

"Not even a little bit. In fact, I'd better get up, because I'm thinkin' about doin' it again, and I don't want to waste your sacrifice."

They got up and she walked him to the door. He turned to her and said, "Thanks again for not throwin' me out. And for the wine. And for-" he kissed her gently on the cheek—"just being you. Good night."

"Are you ok to drive home?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Then I'll say good night, too. I'm glad you came by."

Valerie watched him walk to the elevator and after he got on, she closed the door and collapsed against it, holding her hand to her mouth in astonishment. That came out of nowhere and went somewhere fast, she thought. Maybe his idea for 'neutral corners' was the right one…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

"Hey Valerie, line three for you," Randy Hill was saying, holding up the phone receiver at his desk. "For me? Are you sure?" she asked. "That's what the man said," responded Randy. "Ok. Thanks, Randy." She went to her desk and punched the button for line three. "This is Valerie Spencer," she said.

"Yeah, Valerie? This is Sonny Corinthos. I was wonderin' if you could make some time to stop by my restaurant today. Got somethin' I wanted to discuss with you."

"Wow," she mouthed silently. Sonny went on when she didn't reply, "You still there?"

"Sorry, Mr. Corinthos—I'm still here. I can stop by for lunch, if that's a good time for you. Where exactly is your restaurant?"

"Call me Sonny. Pozzulo's, down on First. Ask anybody in at the cop shop—they can give you directions."

"I'll try to be there in a couple of hours, Mr.—Sonny."

"Hey, no rush, you know? Whenever you get here."

"Actually, this is perfect. I have something I wanted to discuss with you, as well."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes, I do. I look forward to meeting you."

"Same here." They disconnected, and Valerie sat at her desk looking gobsmacked. Randy saw her shaking her head and asked, "So who was it?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "Try me." "Sonny Corinthos, that's who." "Sonny Corinthos. Mob boss Sonny Corinthos. Detective Falconeri's father, Sonny Corinthos. Whoa. I didn't even know you knew him. What'd he want?" "I don't know him, but I guess that's changing today. He said he had something he wanted to discuss with me. Should I be worried?" "I don't think so, but you might want to mention it to Falconeri before you go see him." "No," Valerie considered, "I think I should see what he wants first before saying anything to Dante about it. And don't you say anything, either." "Hey, I'm a vault! You don't want him to know, he won't hear it from me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After Map Questing the directions to Pozzulo's, Valerie set out on her trek to Sonny's restaurant. She was nervous, she admitted to herself. She'd had a gun pointed at her thanks to her crazy uncle Luke but she'd never met a genuine crime boss before. Even though she was staying in his penthouse, she felt removed from him because they had never met. She knew peripheral things about him—what kind of wine he liked, the kind of sheets he preferred on the bed, what style of furniture he liked. She knew he had a contentious relationship with Dante. She knew he and her cousin Carly had been married to each other several times. She knew he was Public Enemy Number One to Jordan, both because of the crime angle, and because of his new-found relationship with her son T.J. About who he really was, however, she had no clue. She guessed she would form her own opinions based on today's meeting.

She entered the restaurant and was immediately hit with the combination scents of strong coffee, marinara sauce, and strangely enough, sugar. Glancing across the room, she saw a man in a dark suit taking a bite of a cannoli and washing it down with what smelled like espresso. He spotted her and waved her over to his table. So THIS was Sonny Corinthos. He looked like power. And charm, she thought when he stood and extended his hand to her, saying with a dimpled smile, "I'm Sonny. You must be Valerie. Good to meet you. Have a seat. You hungry?" Before she had a chance to answer he was shouting over his shoulder, "Hey, Marco! Get out here!" Marco appeared to be a waiter, if his uniform was anything to go by, and she found herself wondering if it was a legitimate job or a cover. "Get this lady anythin' she wants." To her he queried, "You like Italian food?" "I love it," she answered. "Good, good. Enrico, my chef, is the best. Make you whatever you want." He gestured at the menu at her side, which until now, she hadn't noticed was there. "Go ahead," he told her, "order." She perused her many choices and finally chose Shrimp Fra Diavolo. "I'll get Enrico right on it," Marco told her, and promptly disappeared.

Sonny leaned forward on his arm, his thumb supporting his chin as his fingers covered his mouth. They studied one another briefly across the table before Sonny angled his head and said, "I've heard a lot about you. Now that we've met, I'm starting to see what my son sees in you." Valerie sat straighter in her seat and slightly raised her hand as she replied, "Mr. Corinthos—Sonny, Dante and I are just fr-" Sonny cut her off with a laugh, "Hey, you don't have to give me the, 'just friends' bit. It's complicated, I know, 'cause of everythin' goin' on right now. Part of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"About my friendship with Dante, you mean?" Her stomach sank. She was about to be warned off one of the only friends she had in town by his mob boss father. One for whom she had come to care very much. Her pulse sped up, and she swallowed nervously.

Sonny was about to continue when he noticed her slight agitation. "Hey, what's up? You don't have to be nervous with me." He laughed even more when she exhaled in relief. "What'd you think I was gonna say?"

"Honestly, I thought you were going to warn me away from Dante. He's been a good friend to me…"

"No, no, just the opposite. Look, things are kinda rough for him right now. He's gonna be goin' through a divorce soon, he's worried about his kid, things like that. I think, from hearin' how he talks about you, that he's comin' to depend on you, a bit. He likes bein' with you—you make him feel better. I want you to keep doin' that for him. Keep bein' someone he can depend on." Marco interrupted them by placing her meal on the table in front of her, saying, "Enjoy." "Thank you, Marco," she said gratefully. She sat there for a moment, closing her eyes and inhaling the aroma of the food and the complementary espresso Marco delivered to accompany the meal. "Wow," she grinned at Sonny, "this smells like heaven!" "Go ahead," he said, gesturing toward her plate as he returned her grin, "it tastes even better." She sighed in gastronomic rapture after taking a bite. "This—is—excellent!" she declared after dabbing her lips with a napkin. She went on, "I couldn't eat like this every day; before long, I wouldn't be able to fit through the door!"

Sonny chuckled at her near-orgasmic response. "I'm glad you like it. Every now and then, Enrico likes the chance to show off. But gettin' back to what I was sayin', I don't want you to start shuttin' Dante out when things start rampin' up. I love her, but Lulu is no picnic when she's crossed. I just wanna know you'll be in his corner when he needs you."

"He's been there for me so many times since before I even came to Port Charles, so I have no problem returning the favor. I'm wondering, though, why you're really asking this of me."

Sonny shifted in his seat and leaned forward again. "'Cause I don't want you to get hurt here. There's gonna be times when he'll turn to you, and it might seem like he's usin' you. In a way, he might be. He's hurt, he's angry, he's my kid. We sometimes respond to things in negative ways. You might start feelin' like the rebound girl or somethin', and there might be some truth to that. Fact is he and Lulu were solid 'til she ran off to Canada with Dillon Quartermaine and lied about what she was doin'. Set this whole thing in motion, as far as I'm concerned. He's in freefall now—actin' out a little bit. So I want you to be careful. Stay close, but be careful."

"I see what you're saying, and I appreciate it. I'll try to be careful. It's hard, though, because I care for him a lot. I don't want to get hurt and I don't want to hurt him. It's kind of tricky."

"Balancin' feelings always is. Now that I've met you, though, I'm thinkin' you're gonna be ok." He pointed at her nearly empty plate. "You want a cannoli to wash that down with?"

"I don't think I can eat another bite!"

"Marco!" he suddenly barked. When Marco appeared Sonny said, "Wrap her a cannoli to go. And take away her plate." He turned back to Valerie and reminded her, "You said on the phone you had somethin' to discuss with me, too. What was it?"

Valerie unconsciously mimicked Sonny when she also leaned forward on her folded hands. "I wanted to thank you," she stated, "for the use of the penthouse. You don't know me from Adam, but because Dante asked for a favor, you're allowing me to stay there. I'm grateful. But it feels wrong to be living there rent free. How do I fix that?"

Sonny sat back in his seat and said, "Well, ok. I wasn't expectin' that. I don't need your money, Val—can I call you Val?" he asked.

"Of course."

"Ok, yeah, well, as I said, I don't need your money. The penthouse is paid for, the utilities—hell, I don't even know—someone on my staff takes care of all that stuff. I don't know what to tell you…"

"Maybe if I gave you a set amount each month-"

"Let's do this. I got a couple of charities at General Hospital I fund. Take what you would be givin' me and give it to those charities instead. Two birds, one stone. That work for you?"

"It's a deal, Sonny. Thanks. And thank you for the meal—please tell Enrico he outdid himself."

"I'll do that. I'm glad to have met you, Val. I like that Dante has you lookin' out for him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie was reenergized and wired by the espresso she'd had for lunch as she returned to the PCPD carrying her cannoli. Her mood was upbeat as she sat at her desk, swaying to the last song playing in her head from the car radio. Dante smiled as he entered the squad room and saw her bopping away. He laughed and said as he approached her desk, "I see the movement but I don't hear the music. What're you so happy about?" "I," she replied dramatically, "just took a meeting with the great Sonny Corinthos. He fed me, he gave me espresso, he gave me" –she pointed with both index fingers at her 'to go' box—"cannoli! I liked him very much, I think, no, I KNOW he liked me, and I'm very high right now because his espresso is no joke!" She went on mumbling to herself, "I don't think he put any booze or anything in it, but I definitely feel wired." Aloud she told him, "Yep, I think I could run a marathon right now!"

"Why'd you go see Sonny?"

"He called and requested my presence. Since I wanted to talk to him about something as well, I accepted his invitation. But seriously," she said, coming down to earth, "I liked him. Of course it's hard to tell how someone is from only one meeting, but I liked him. He's a nice man—very concerned about you."

"Don't let the charm fool you. Sonny knows how to use it to his advantage, but there's also another side to him I hope you never see. What did you want to talk to him about?"

"I felt bad about living in the penthouse rent-free. We made a deal that the money I would give him every month will be going to the hospital charities of his choice. Pretty cool, yes?"

"Paying rent wasn't something you had to worry about," he told her with a frown.

"Maybe not, but you have to pay yours every month, don't you? If I was living anywhere else, I'd have to pay it. It didn't feel right to be living there without paying anything. Now I don't have to feel like a charity case, because I'll be giving to charity. It's a win-win, Dante." She went back to dancing in her chair to her imaginary music.

Dante was curious now—he wondered what exactly she and Sonny had spoken about. It looked like he was going to have to make his own trip to Pozzulo's…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

The first thing Dante encountered when he entered Pozzulo's was Sonny talking to one of his baristas behind the coffee bar in the restaurant. Sonny gestured to Dante after he noticed him, saying, "Hey Dante, c'mere. You've gotta try this." Dante approached the bar curiously. "What is it?" he asked. "It's espresso with cherry rum biscotti. We're thinkin' of addin' it to the coffee bar menu. Tell me what you think."

"I don't know, Sonny. I'm having a hard enough time sleeping these days—it might be too late in the day for espresso for me…"

"You don't have to have the whole cup. Just taste it and tell me what you think."

Dante dipped the biscotti in the espresso and took a bite. "It's good," he proclaimed. He went on, "You're really working hard to make this place look legit, aren't you? Adding new items to the coffee bar, Enrico working full-time…"

"Hey, this place IS legit. Who knows? Maybe someday there will be Pozzulo's all over the place, like a chain."

"Is that your plan—to franchise?"

"Just sayin', you never know. What brings you by, anyway?"

Dante considered his father for a moment before answering, "I heard you had some kind of meeting with Valerie. Somehow I got the feeling it was about me, so I wanted to know what you said to her."

Sonny laughed. "Sounds a little conceited to me. Everything ain't about you, kid. I wanted to get to know the woman stayin' in my penthouse, that's all. We were just havin' a private conversation—nothin' you need to be bothered about."

"She said you were concerned about me, so I know my name came up-"

"Don't worry about it. Did she tell you what we talked about?"

"Not really."

"There it is, then. Just know that I came away from the conversation likin' her, and bein' glad she's gonna be around for you, that's all. Anything else you don't need to worry about. Since you're here, have you had dinner yet? I can get Enrico to fix you up somethin'…"

Dante smiled and shook his head, laughing. "As many times as you've been in the interrogation room, I should know better than to try to get anything out of you that you don't wanna give up. Yeah, I could eat. Thanks. Tell Enrico to fix me the same thing Valerie was raving about all day-that shrimp stuff."

"You got it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After another night of fractured sleep, Dante laid on the couch staring at the ceiling as morning came. Today was the day he and Lulu were to meet with the divorce mediator. His feelings were mixed as he lay there brooding. He felt a little bit sick to his stomach, a dull ache. Or maybe that was his heart, he mused. He realized he was sad. He never intended or believed he would be in this state—divorced from Lulu. He was regretful for the part he played in the demise of his marriage. Then he thought of the lies Lulu told that, he felt, allowed everything that followed to be set in motion, and he started getting angry all over again. Maybe the anger was becoming a protection, he didn't know, to shield him from the reality of his situation. Why exactly was this happening? He wanted to clarify his position before he went to the meeting. This was happening because he cheated on his wife, an event that would have never happened if she hadn't lied to him and distrusted him. He didn't have to cheat, he knew, but he had thought, based on what her lies led to, that his marriage was already over. He couldn't get past how honesty only seemed important to her when it was him being honest with her, but not the other way around. And he didn't feel like chasing and begging her for another chance as if he was the only one who had done something wrong this time. He remembered how she had said she was "willing to try to forgive him," and he snorted. The princess lowering herself to consider the peasant with her favors. Maybe that wasn't fair, but that's how he felt. Having straightened and ordered his thoughts, he got off the couch and prepared to face the day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lulu was icy as they sat in the divorce mediator's office, and Dante felt a twinge of regret about that. He knew it was just a protection for her, maybe as much as his anger was for him. He knew the warm person she was underneath, and he hoped she didn't remain encased in ice after time had passed. The papers had been filed and received by both parties; a file number had been given. Both parties agreed there was an irretrievable breakdown in the marriage. There were no real marital assets to speak of—the loft was held jointly but owned by neither. By agreement, Dante would remain there, since Lulu wanted no part of it anymore. Rocco would be provided for with monthly child support payments; primary care would be with the mother, with the father having liberal visitation rights. Temporary spousal support for Lulu with the provision for revisiting the situation should the income of either party increase or decrease, or until the final decree was given. Since the divorce was being uncontested, a final decree could be handed down in two to three months. And that was it. No fuss, no muss, just the end of everything.

"Per the agreement, I'll call you with a time that's convenient for you to come see Rocco," Lulu said haughtily before leaving the office. Frost all the way. A part of him admired that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later on in the evening, Dante found himself once again in Jake's. He had been looking for some anonymous company but the bar was nearly empty. He ordered a beer from the bar and then chose a table, slung himself down into a chair, and took a swig of his beer. Not long after Dante had arrived at Jake's, Randy Hill walked in and after spotting him, he approached the table. "Hey Falconeri, you on your own?" he asked, sitting down uninvited. "Who should I be with, Hill?" replied Dante, who was slightly annoyed. Something about Hill rubbed him the wrong way sometimes. Maybe it was the cozy way he had with a certain someone… He shied away from that thought. "Not saying it had to be anyone special, just surprised to find you on your own, is all," Randy said as he motioned to Coleman for a beer. Detective Bill Johnson and a couple more officers from the PCPD trooped in after the end of their shifts and Bill said laughingly as he walked up, "What's this, the PSB table?" "PSB? What's that?" wondered Randy in puzzlement. "The Poor Sad Bastard's table, that's what," Bill chortled. He went on to say, "Why the faces? Ya'll look like someone took away your pensions or somethin'."

Randy spoke first. "I don't know about Falconeri, but I was at a loose end and thinking maybe here I'd get some female companionship. Broke up with my girlfriend three months ago, and the girl I had my eye on wants someone else," he finished, his eyes unconsciously cutting to Dante.

"Well what's your story, Falconeri?" Bill and the others sat down and Bill leaned forward on his fist as if expecting to hear some juicy gossip.

"I had my divorce mediation today, that's all. I just came in here for a beer and to be around people without being bothered. At least I got the beer…"

"Yeah, well you shouldn't be alone at a time like this—good thing we stopped by," Bill smirked. "Hey Coleman," he yelled, "Why don't you set us up with some more beer and some snacks or somethin'?"

Coleman responded, "As long as you're payin' tonight, you can have what you want. Your tab's all but busted, Johnson."

"All right, all right," Bill grumbled as he dug in his pocket for his wallet, "just set us up."

"You got it," Coleman said over his shoulder before disappearing into the back of the bar.

Nathan ambled into the bar and once he had spotted his brothers in blue, he came toward them with a faint smile. "This where the party is? Nobody invited me."

One of the other officers answered, "This's a 'Free At Last' party for Falconeri. He's getting his bachelor rank back. I thought you had a lady, though, so what brings you down?"

Nathan sat down with a disgusted grunt. "My 'lady' and her friend are having an 'I Hate Men' fest at her place, complete with fuzzy slippers and Haagen Dazs. Sorry, man" he told Dante, who waved him aside with his hand. He further said, "I reminded Maxie I was a man too, and she almost threw a shoe at me. Didn't see any reason to stay after that."

"Falconeri," Bill suddenly addressed him, "how long were you married for?"

"Dated for over two, married for almost four."

"That's rough," one of the other officers said, everyone else nodding in agreement.

"Boo-frickin'-hoo," replied Bill sarcastically, "call me when your wife of over eighteen years tells you she's 'found her bliss' with her new, younger yoga instructor, takin' half your assets with her. Or when your kids blame the split on your ass for bein' a cop who works too many long hours, even though your cop ass's money is helpin' put them through college," he finished bitterly before having an angry swallow of his beer.

"Yeah, yeah, Johnson, we get it—you're the only one whose life sucks."

Coleman returned to the table with a pitcher of beer and a basket of chicken wings which he placed on the table in front of them. He was regretting letting his waitress split for the night but up until an hour ago, the bar had been almost empty. "What about you, Coleman?" Randy asked him, "You ever married?"

"What for?" Coleman smirked. "Listen dudes, bein' with a woman is like choosin' a car. You get the make and model you want, you choose the style, the color, and then you lease, you don't buy. Makes it a lot easier to trade up later, if you know what I'm sayin'."

Dante said in disgust, "That's a real mature attitude there, Coleman. Must be a real hit with the ladies you meet."

"I don't hurt for action, if that's what you mean. O'course I 'spose I could be all mature and marry up and end up lookin' like you right now." Having scored a point, Coleman sauntered off and went back behind the bar.

"He makes some sense," Nathan said.

"Yo, West, what's up with you and what'd you say her name was, Maxie? You plannin' to tie the noose—I mean the knot, anytime soon?"

"I love Maxie," Nathan said, "but I'm not sure about marriage just yet. We're probably heading in that direction, though. Eventually."

"She's kind of a ditz, though, ain't she?" Bill joked.

"Come on, Johnson, watch your mouth! You're talking about his woman."

"Just sayin'," Bill replied, "Ditzy is kind of cute when they're twenty but when they're forty, it's a domestic homicide waitin' to happen. That crap gets annoyin' real quick."

"I appreciate your imput, Johnson. Good looking out. If I do marry her, I'll be sure not to invite you," countered Nathan.

"Hey, you children should listen to the experienced ones—save you a lotta grief later on," admonished Bill knowingly.

Suddenly Randy looked around the bar and exclaimed, "Just my luck! The chicks that are in here are already with someone. The house is kinda sparse tonight. Doesn't seem like I'm gonna meet anyone worth my time…"

"Why'd you kick your last girlfriend to the curb," he was asked.

"I didn't kick her, she kicked me. Turns out she was a badge bunny—met a lieutenant out of some precinct in Buffalo, decided she was in love, dropped me like a bad habit. It happens."

"Only to you, Hill," Bill guffawed loudly, "only to you! What are you, new? How fresh are you that you can't recognize a badge bunny when she flashes her tail atcha? First it's the whole, 'Are you a cop?' Then it's the 'I think cops are so brave!' Then it's the 'My uncle-brother-fifth cousin was a cop and I admired him so much!' Next thing you know, she's got your phone number and she's tryin' to get a ride home. It's called a pattern, son. They've all got 'em."

Dante was only halfway listening to the conversations going on around him but he was glad he wasn't on his own, after all. Johnson was a loud mouth, Hill was annoying, but these guys were his annoyingly loud people. His brothers. He was unknowingly taking solace in the inanity of their conversations as they wore on through the night.

It was his intention to have one more beer and then head for home. As he walked toward the bar, he scowled as he saw a familiar face entering Jake's. Dillon Quartermaine. Against his better nature, he began to bristle but before he could speak, Dillon was saying accusingly, "I hope you're proud of yourself, Dante! I saw Lulu earlier this evening at Maxie's—she's been crying all night!"

"Somehow, Quartermaine, right now I'm stuck between askin' you how that's your business, and just pushin' your face in. Keep talkin', help me decide." His brothers quickly surrounded him, and Nathan said, "Man, he's not even worth it—don't bother giving him a reason to try to have you charged with assault or something."

"Listen, junior," Bill added with a growl, "You might want to go somewhere else to get your drink on. I don't see nothin' nice happenin' for you if you stay here."

"I don't need any trouble from you guys," Dillon said angrily. He added, "I came in here to have a drink and I have just as much right to be here as you do."

"What you don't seem to get is this ain't about rights. This is about us bouncin' you all over this bar and swearin' that you just fell down. Over and over again. You trackin' me, son? Hit it," Bill ordered while pointing at the door.

"Sounds like you're talking about police brutality to me."

"You got it, junior. Po-lice bru-tal-i-tee. All over your ass."

"You're pretty brave with your friends behind you," Dillon stated to Dante with a sneer.

"You really wanna screw with me right now, DULLON? I'm in the mood to hit somethin' over and over—might as well be you as anything," replied Dante. He'd been loosened up by the beer and he was spoiling for a fight. Dillon made the perfect target as far as he was concerned.

"Ain't gonna be no fightin' tonight," Bill declared with finality, "'cause junior's goin' home before he gets the ass kickin' of his pretty boy life."

Coleman walked in the middle of the crowd carrying a baseball bat and saying, "Ain't gonna be no fightin' 'cause you're ALL goin' home. Bar's closed, gents. And don't let your drama spill out into my parkin' lot. But then I guess I wouldn't have to call the cops for the disturbance, ya'll bein' cops yourselves and all. Anybody too drunk to drive?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once Dante had sobered up a bit, he was slightly ashamed of his behavior with Dillon Quartermaine. It wasn't his fault that he'd gotten tangled up in all this. At least, Dante didn't think it was. He never really knew what role Dillon had played in Lulu lying to him. He supposed it didn't matter now, whatever it was. His marriage was over. Time to start moving on. He turned onto his stomach as he lay on the couch and looked over at his bed. First thing after work tomorrow, he decided, he was getting a new mattress.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	13. Chapter 13

Ch.13

Dante was sitting at his desk reviewing a report he had just finished typing up when his computer signaled that he was getting an instant message. He stopped himself in time from turning to Valerie, who was the sender. "Dante," it read, "Do you have plans for tonight?" "I've got a couple of things I've got to take care of—I'm having some furniture delivered after work that I ordered online, I'm going out to Spoon Island to spend some time with Rocco. What's up?" "I found a new recipe that I wanted to try and I was going to make it tonight and invite you to dinner. We can do it another night, though." "I'm planning to be back from Wyndemere around eight o'clock or so—if you don't mind a late dinner, we can still do it." "You sure? I don't want you to rush your time with Rocco…" "It'll be fine. I'd already intended to be back around that time anyway, so no problem." "Ok. Whenever you get done, head over to the penthouse and we'll have dinner." "Will do." Dante couldn't stop himself from catching Valerie's attention and flashing her a smile. He hadn't been looking forward to facing another lonely dinner for one at the loft—now he wouldn't have to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standing back and admiring his handiwork, Dante nodded his head in satisfaction. His new mattress was in place; the bed was remade with brand new sheets and bedcovers. He had good taste, he thought to himself as he took in the light brown/dark brown combination duvet with black accents. New mattress, new sheets, new start. He was feeling positively cheerful as he picked up his keys and headed out the door. Next stop, Wyndemere.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After being shown to the nursery, Alfred told Dante, "Miss Lulu is not in the residence at the moment, but is visiting friends in town." Dante figured this was Alfred's way of telling him he wouldn't be running into her during his time with Rocco, which was just as well. He was in a good mood since he was finally getting some time with his son and he didn't want anything spoiling that. "Thanks, Alfred," he told the butler with an understanding nod. "You're welcome, Master Dante." Alfred was walking away when Dante stopped him, asking, "Hey listen, Alfred? Calling me 'Master Dante' doesn't sound right to me. Can't you just call me 'Dante'?" "Now that," replied Alfred with a smile, "doesn't sound proper to me, Sir." He inclined his head and disappeared down the corridor.

"Sir? Wow," Dante said under his breath. He could never get used to this type of lifestyle, he supposed. What was it like to grow up with butlers, maids and nannies? Was Rocco really going to grow up here, or was Lulu intending to get her own place somewhere in town? Something else they would eventually have to discuss. He thought back on his own childhood. Noisy, busy, people—family—always going in and out of each other's houses. He wanted something similar for Rocco. The constant chaos that told you that you were part of something special—a huge, loving family. Norma came in carrying Rocco in the middle of his musings and Dante took him from her arms with a little whoop. "Hey buddy, I sure have missed you! I'll bet you've been wondering what's going on, haven't you? Poor baby." To Norma he enquired, "How has he been, Norma? Is he settling in here all right?"

"He seems to be adjusting wonderfully well. He's a happy child with a sunny disposition, which is serving him well." Norma replied. "What are his days like? What does he do when he's here?" Dante wanted to know.

"He plays with Master Spencer at times, when he is finished with his tutoring. Every now and then, Master Nikolas takes him out to the stables to show him the horses, which he very much enjoys. Most of the time, though, he's content to amuse himself playing with his toys. He really is an easy child to manage. I told Miss Lulu I would be willing to watch him all day instead of sending him to daycare, but she declined."

"Yeah, I figured she would have. Since he doesn't have any brothers or sisters"—and isn't likely to have any now, he thought—"we want him to be with other kids, be socialized and all that. It's supposed to be better for his development later on or something."

"There is some truth to that, and it's her choice to make. And yours, of course. I will leave you to have some private time with him. Please excuse me," she said before exiting the nursery.

Playing together on the floor, they rolled toy cars back and forth on the carpet. They made them fly in the air and crash into one another. Typical boy stuff. They played a game Rocco invented where he threw his stuffed bunny at his father and laughed uproariously when Dante failed to catch it each time. When he sensed Rocco was tiring out, Dante pulled him into his lap and read him 'Goodnight, Moon,' one of his own childhood favorites. He was closing his own eyes and rocking his son gently back and forth when he thought he heard Norma return to the nursery. "I guess I tired him out," Dante whispered and then opened his eyes. Lulu was standing there with a faint smile on her face, a face that quickly turned impassive once she realized Dante was looking at her. "I'll take him—it's his bedtime anyway," she said as she reached down to pick Rocco up. He watched Lulu lay him down in his crib and cover him with a light blanket. They both kissed him good night and then she raised the crib bar and secured it into place. Dante finally turned to her and thanked her, saying, "I appreciate you letting me have all this alone time with him. It meant a lot." Again that faint smile appeared as she replied, "That's what we agreed on, isn't it?" "It was, but still, thanks." "You're welcome, Dante. No matter how I might feel about you, you're still his father." Dante took that as his cue to leave and after he nodded his head to acknowledge what she was saying, he left the nursery and the mansion as he made his way to the launch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was almost fifteen minutes after eight o'clock when Dante finally rang the doorbell of the penthouse. He hoped Valerie hadn't been holding dinner long, but he did remember telling her he might be this late. Either way, he was famished, and he was looking forward to her company. She opened the door with a broad smile on her face. "I hope you're hungry," she greeted him. "Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't eaten since breakfast. I'm starving," he replied.

Valerie led him into the dining area, telling him, "Go ahead and sit down. I'll bring the plates in." She started to walk away when he stopped her with, "Don't, Val. You don't have to wait on me, ok?"

"It's not a big deal, Dante. I want you to get the full effect of this dinner, and I want to see your face when I present it. I think I outdid myself. Let's see if you agree." Having said that, she hurriedly turned and dashed into the kitchen while he sat down at the table. Something smelled great—he wondered what exactly she had prepared.

Carrying two bowls into the room, she announced, "This is Farfalle pasta with smoked salmon and cream cheese," after which she placed the bowls on the table.

"Whoa. I can't believe you went through all this trouble…"

"We're not done yet," she laughed and rushed back into the kitchen. Dante began salivating as he leaned over the bowl and inhaled. He was looking forward to this.

Adopting a snooty tone, she grandly announced, "To accompany the pasta dish, this is a simple, yet tasty, cherry tomato salad. The wine of the evening will be Chablis, a perfect complement to the salmon. For dessert, which will be served later if you desire, we have a light mango sorbet. I hope you enjoy your meal."

They both started laughing as he said, "You do that way too well. I know you said you had a recipe you wanted to try, but you really shouldn't have gone through all this trouble. You must have been in the kitchen all evening."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you, but that's the secret. I'm not the kind of person who likes to be in the kitchen all day, so I choose simple dishes that look like they took a lot of work but actually didn't. Total time spent creating these masterpieces, including prep time—one hour, ten minutes."

"No way. Seriously? And you made it all yourself?"

"Yep. Well, the sorbet is store bought, but the rest was done by my own delicate hands. Eat up," she said while pouring the decanted wine into glasses.

Tasting a forkful of the farfalle, Dante chewed in appreciation. "Wow, this is really good! I knew you could cook, but this is something like Enrico would make at Sonny's restaurant. You've got talent."

"Thank you, kind sir. I won't starve, that's for sure! My mom made sure I could at least feed myself and a family one day, but I never got the hang of being in the kitchen all day, creating dish after dish. I like easy to make meals that look difficult. Then you get loads of praise for minimal work!"

"Well, you definitely get my praise," Dante told her with a grin. "This was worth waiting all day for."

"Thanks for being my guinea pig—I've wanted to try this pasta dish ever since I saw the recipe online. It seemed more ambitious than it actually was, once I started making it."

"I'll be your guinea pig any time you want me to be if you're gonna cook like this! But seriously, Val, thanks. I wasn't looking forward to going to my empty loft and trying to figure out what I was going to eat tonight. Thank you for sharing your meal with me."

"You really are welcome—I'm glad you enjoyed it. You don't want dessert?" "I don't think so—I don't have the room for it. Maybe later." She rose from the table and started clearing the dishes when Dante protested, "Look, stop. I'LL do that. You took the time to make this meal, so let me at least get the dishes. Go sit on the couch and chill." He began collecting the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen where he rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. When he returned to the living area, Val was sitting on the couch swaying slightly to a jazz station that was playing on the radio. The wine glasses were on the coffee table in front of her, and Dante couldn't help flashing back to the last time they drank wine together. He sat down beside her and picked up his wine glass. "You like jazz?" he asked her. "I like all kinds of music. Every mood needs its own sound."

"What sound is this, then?"

"This sound? This sound says 'I'm relaxed, I've eaten well, and I'm enjoying your company.' It says 'Release the pressures of the day and just be'. That's what I hear, anyway. What does it say to you?"

He closed his eyes and leaned back on the couch as he thought about it. Finally he said, "It says 'I like being with you.' It says 'Good food, good company, and good wine— the perfect end to a long day'." He sighed and then turned to her. "I'm gonna ask you something, but I don't want you to take it the wrong way."

"Ok, I've been warned. Ask."

"Maybe—never mind."

"Dante! Don't do that. Speak your mind."

"It's just that sitting here with you right now, this is the most peaceful feeling I've had in a while. Would it be weird if I stayed the night? I could sleep on the couch—I've been doing that a lot, anyway. It's just, I don't know; I don't want to go home right now. What I'm feeling right now I want to feel for a little bit longer. But only if that's ok with you."

"First of all, you wouldn't have to sleep on the couch because your father has three bedrooms here. And yeah, it probably will be a little weird knowing you were right across the hall, but you know what? You gave me a haven when I needed one and a place to lay my head. I don't see anything wrong with returning the favor."

"As long as I'm not pressuring you or anything…"

"You haven't figured me out by now, Dante? I rarely do anything I don't want to do."

He yawned hugely and she laughed as she remarked, "I think that's the high sign saying you're ready for bed."

"I'd love to stay up and talk but I'm exhausted. Do you mind? I haven't been sleeping well at all lately. I actually feel like I could crash and get some good sleep for the first time in days."

They stood together and Dante drew her into his arms and then hugged her gently before softly kissing her cheek. "Thanks again for the great dinner, and for the use of one of your rooms. I appreciate it."

"Well, your father's rooms, more like. And once again, you're welcome. I'm just glad you liked everything."

"You're staying here for now. You don't have to keep referring to it as 'Sonny's penthouse', ok? He would want you to feel at home here. Say it. 'You're welcome to stay at my place, Dante'."

She laughed when he gave her a little shake and then responded, "Fine. You're welcome to stay at my place, Dante." She smiled and shook her head at his silliness.

"That's better." He angled his head toward the staircase, and they went up together, each to separate rooms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She was in a huge room. Although the furnishings were different than she remembered, she recognized it as her bedroom. The sun was beaming in brightly through the open French doors and a gentle breeze was blowing the scent of the ocean into the room. She stretched luxuriously in the middle of her bed as she writhed on what felt like high-end Egyptian cotton sheets. She smiled. Nothing but the best for this girl, she thought. She looked down at herself—she was wearing a black lace teddy, which she thought was strange. Not that she hadn't had her share of lingerie, but she didn't recognize this one as something she would own. "Well, sleepyhead," said a voice at the foot of the bed, "I thought you'd never wake up. I missed you." She looked down to see Dante crawling up from the end of the bed toward her. He was wearing a pair of white mesh sleep pants and nothing else. Her heart began beating faster as he advanced closer and closer to her. He took her in as he looked down at her, fingering the panty part of the teddy with his thumb and forefinger. "I don't know why you wear these things when you know I'm just going to rip them off you," he said, giving her a predatory look. "I thought you would like it," she replied. "I do," he answered, "But sometimes, they just get in the way." After saying this, he gripped both sides of the teddy and ripped it in half, causing her to gasp aloud. "Now that's what I want to see," he said hungrily as he licked his lips. He began kissing her stomach above her navel, long wet kisses that he dragged over her belly and torso. He gently nipped her under her rib cage and she arched upward involuntarily before he pushed her back down to the bed. "This won't do at all," he said before taking what was left of the teddy from her body and throwing it over his shoulder. He ran his hands up and down her thighs, murmuring, "So many things I want to do to you, but-" he spread her thighs widely apart—"I'm hungry." He lowered his head and passed his tongue over her intimate flesh, humming as he gathered every drop of moisture his actions were creating. She began panting as his tongue probed deeper, deeper. She grabbed his hair and grimaced because she felt the tiny contractions starting within her, and she began crying out, "Dante. Oh, God, Dante. Ooh, yess, Dante. Ahhh, DANTE!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two things happened simultaneously. Valerie bolted upright in the bed gasping for air, and her bedroom door came flying open, a wild haired Dante flipping on the light switch as his eyes moved rapidly throughout the room. He rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms, which was difficult because she was tangled up in the bedsheets. "Hey," he said with concern in his voice, "Everything ok in here? Did you have a nightmare? I heard you calling out…"

She struggled to get out of his arms, which caused him to hold her even more tightly. "I'm ok, Dante. I'm fine. More embarrassed than anything. You can let me go."

"Look, anyone can have a bad dream—there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm just glad I was here-"

"It wasn't a bad dream, ok? Seriously, you can let go-"

"Why are you being so silly? Not a bad dream? But I heard you crying—out—to—me…" A different thought occurred to him, and he began smiling at her. "Exactly what kind of dream was it, then? I know I heard you calling my name."

"If you laugh at me, I'm going to smack you!"

"I'm not laughing at you," he said right before he started chuckling. He finally released her and moved back slightly on the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said hurriedly when he noticed that she had balled her fist and was getting ready to strike. "Tell me, though," he went on, "what was happening that made you cry out like that?"

"Oh my God, let it go, would you? Can't you see I'm mortified?"

"You're mortified, but I'm curious." For the first time since he had entered the room, he noticed the low cut red lace bralette she was wearing. He looked down at her breasts and unconsciously, he used the back of his fingers to lightly stroke her cleavage. "You're all tangled up in the sheets—your hair is all over the place… Tell me, was I doing this, do you remember?" He inquired as his fingers moved back and forth.

"Dante, what are you doing?"

"I'm just asking a question, one I'd really like an answer to. What was I doing to you that made you scream my name?"

"I wasn't screaming your name."

"Would you like to be?" He asked teasingly before replacing his fingers with his lips. He dropped little light kisses over the tops of her breasts, increasing the pressure as his lips traveled upwards to her neck, which he lightly nipped with his teeth.

Her breathing quickened and she was able to gasp out, "Dante-" before he took her lips with his own, kissing her voraciously. His tongue tangled with hers and he let out a small groan as his excitement increased. Once again he pulled her into his arms, gathering her close before he lowered her to the bed. His hand slid beneath the lace, cupping her breast, gently rolling and pinching the nipple. Valerie moaned deep in her throat as his hands began roaming her body. He broke off the kiss to suckle and nip at each breast in turn while his hand slid down toward the center of her body, and she finally took a shaky breath.

"Dante," she gasped out, trying to regain his attention. When he didn't seem to hear her, she tried again, "Dante!" Ultimately, she had to grab ahold of his head to get him to listen to her. "DANTE!"

"What? What's wrong, baby? You want me to stop?"

"Do you have condoms?"

"Huh?"

"Condoms. You know. Rubbers, gloves, jimmy hats. Do you have any?"

What she was actually asking him finally registered, and his head dropped to her breasts as he groaned, "This can't be happening!"

"I'll take that as a 'no' so you're right, this can't be happening."

He whined and pouted playfully before sobering up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't even have approached you like that. I get around you and I don't know what happens sometimes. No excuse. I just went for it and got us both all wound up—I didn't even make sure you were ok with it. I'm a jerk. A condom-less jerk."

"No, you're just horny, same as I am. And I didn't stop you because I didn't want you to make love to me, but because we have enough complications going on in our lives without adding an unexpected pregnancy to the mix. We were lucky last time—I'm not trying to tempt fate twice."

"I don't even know what to say."

"Say 'good night, Val'. And say next time, you'll be better prepared."

"So you're actually saying there'll be a next time?"

"I'm not gonna lie; I want you, Dante. I want you, and the feeling's obviously mutual. I'm pretty sure eventually, there's gonna be a 'next time'."

He leaned forward and softly kissed her lips. "Good night, Val." He got up and walked over to the light switch, which he turned off before closing her bedroom door. She threw herself back onto the bed, put one of the pillows over her face, and groaned out her frustrations into it.

Dante got back into bed, shaking his head. What a rookie mistake, he thought with a snicker. He'd come at Val like some virgin getting his first lay instead of like a married man with a child… Whoa. The smile left his face instantly. Papers had been filed, true, but for all intents and purposes, he was still a married man. He shouldn't have come at her like that. He didn't yet have the right to. He wanted her to know that he respected her, and she was more than just some lay. Somehow, he was going to have to do better at showing her how special she was becoming to him...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

The next morning, Dante and Valerie were both exiting their respective rooms when they ran into one another in the hallway. The atmosphere was slightly uncomfortable as they both froze and regarded each other silently. Trying to eliminate the strangeness in the air, they spoke at the same time. "Hey, did you sleep well?" "Good morning, Val." Valerie laughed and looked away first, her eyes landing on everything in the hallway but him.

"Let's try this again," Dante said with a chuckle, adding, "Good morning, Val."

Val nodded in agreement with restarting the conversation as she responded, "Good morning, Dante. How'd you sleep?"

"Surprisingly well. I feel rested for the first time in days."

"Good, I'm glad…" The conversation lagged once more and Dante shook his head as he remarked, "Why does this feel so-" "Awkward," they both said simultaneously. "Yeah," he went on, "Awkward. You're not shy with me and I'm not shy with you, so why does this seem so weird?"

"I know for me," Valerie stated with a sigh, "I'm still embarrassed about last night."

"Which part? The dream or what happened afterwards?"

"Definitely the dream. The part afterwards just left me frustrated—sorry," she tacked on quickly, realizing how that must have sounded.

"Don't be sorry, and don't be embarrassed. I like it when you speak your mind and are honest with me. Full disclosure? You aren't the only one having sex dreams here so don't worry about it. I certainly don't think any less of you because of it. And you weren't the only one frustrated."

"Ok, that's opening a can of worms right there."

"Why?"

"Because now I'm dying to ask what you dreamed but then I know you'll turn it around on me and want to know what I dreamed about, and I'm not about to tell you that. Let's not even get on the subject of frustration."

"Fair enough—let's stick with the dreams. You're right. If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

"Not happening."

"There you go, then. By the way, thanks for putting out a toothbrush and towel for me. I didn't even hear you come in the room."

"You're welcome. When I went in there, you were knocked out. You didn't even move. I think this room is for guests, so the extras were already there."

Oh, ok. Thanks, anyway. And I told you that was the best sleep I've had in days. You probably could have set a bomb off and I wouldn't have heard it."

"But you heard me call out—never mind."

"Yeah, I don't think you wanna go there. I thought something was wrong, that's why I came running-"

"Yeah, no, I don't wanna go there. It was just an observation. I think you've noticed that sometimes my mouth moves faster than my brain. New subject. Do you want some breakfast?" She asked as they moved from the hallway down the stairs to the living area.

"No thanks. I'm just gonna head in to the station and get some work done. I'm taking a half day today so I'm just gonna update some case notes, and then take the rest of the day off."

"You're not going like that, I hope," she said, pointing at his clothing. He looked down at himself before looking back at her. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Only the fact that you wore it yesterday. You work with detectives who are paid to be observant. You really want to open yourself to harassment about why you're in the same clothes you had on yesterday?"

"I didn't even think about that. Good point. I guess next time, I'll have to bring a change of clothes." They smiled at each other in amusement as he continued, "Yeah, I really did say that out loud."

"You sure did. And you're right, I guess next time you'll have to." They began laughing again at all the things going unspoken and the innuendos being tossed around.

"I guess that's not the only thing I need to remember for next time," Dante teased, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"And on that note, you've gotta go. Don't even start with me," she countered with a grin.

"I don't think starting is my problem—next time I've gotta be able to finish."

"Ok, seriously," she said as she pushed him toward the front door, "You're out of here!" She opened the door, leaning on it as she stood behind it and watched him walk out. He stopped halfway and turned back. "So I'll see you later?"

"Yeah. See you later." Instead of a goodbye kiss, he rubbed his thumb over her lips before tapping her on the chin. He gave her a wink, and walked to the elevator.

Valerie closed the door and blew out a breath. "Whoo, that man," she thought. But what a nice way to start the morning…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later on in the day, Valerie and Jordan were taking a steam in the steam room of the Port Charles Spa and Fitness Club after a few rousing sets of racquetball, most of which Jordan won. Since they were the only two in the steam room, Jordan sat back against the bench, leaning propped up on her elbows with her legs stretched out while Val lay on her back with her hands under her head. Jordan was saying, "It's a good thing I'm going to the salon tomorrow. My hair is going to be thrashed! Why did I let you talk me into coming in here?"

"It's cleansing—good for the pores. Your toxins are being released even as we speak. Doesn't the steam make you feel rejuvenated, invigorated?"

"Ok, you sound like you're on something—don't make me have you drop in a cup! Keep talking like that and you're getting drug tested. You've been all 'bouncy' all day. What's up with you?"

"I can't be in a good mood for a change?"

"Exactly. With everything that's going on, why are you in such a good mood? Or should I ask you who's got you in such a good mood?"

"All right, I'll spill, but don't go off on me, ok? Dante spent the night last night."

"Valerie, damn-"

"No, no, wait! It wasn't like that! Well, it kind of was, but it mostly wasn't."

"Ok, I'd say the likelihood of you getting tested is increasing. Are you even trying to make sense? Girl, I thought we talked about this! What do you think you're doing?"

"I invited him over for dinner. That's all, just dinner. We had a nice time, and he was feeling relaxed-"

"I'll bet he was!"

"—so he asked if he could stay over. On the couch. Just to sleep. Which I thought was fine."

"Uh huh. So where does the bouncing all over the place come in to it?"

"I had a dream, which he thought was a nightmare, so he came in to check on me, and-"

"And?" Jordan rolled her finger over and over as she encouraged, "Come on, let's hear it."

"Andonethingledtoanotherandwealmostdidit," said Val in one breath.

"What?"

"We almost had sex. But we stopped. And that's it."

"Somehow I think there's more to the story, but listen. This guy is in the middle of a divorce; his feelings are all over the place. I think you're setting yourself up for some major heartache. Who put a stop to it?"

"I did. He didn't have any condoms, so-"

"And that's the only reason you stopped? Lord help us. He hasn't even broken away emotionally from his wife yet-"

"A few weeks ago I might have agreed with you, but now, I'm not so sure. I think he's really ready to move on from Lulu-"

"Your cousin, Lulu, by the way-"

"Yes, my cousin—I haven't forgotten that part—and I think his feelings for me might be getting, I don't know, bigger or something? He's affectionate and touchy and when we're together..."

"Yeah, girl, 'cause he wants the drawls. That's SOP when a guy wants the drawls, to be all 'touchy-feely when you're together'."

"I've been around a few guys—I can tell when a guy's just being sleazy and when he's being sincere. Most of the time. I think his affections are real. It doesn't feel like he just wants to hook up."

"Ok. Well you know I'm here for you when this thing goes pear-shaped. I think you should let him sort out his drama before jumping into anything with him, that's my advice. If whatever this is is there before his divorce, it'll be there after it."

"I hear you, and I'm being careful. I told Sonny the same thing…"

"Sonny? What's he got to do with anything?"

"He asked to meet with me earlier in the week. He wanted to thank me for being a support for Dante. And he warned me to be careful because of the emotional minefield, which I told him I would. And I plan to be. I'm not trying to get hurt here, but I don't intend to miss out, either, if Dante wants to be with me."

"Well the youngest ones are the hardest-headed, so do your thing. If Sonny approached you, though, he's probably got some kind of angle he's working that you can't see. I'd be careful of that, too. Now can we finally get out of this steam? I've been rejuvenated and invigorated enough for one day."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After she and Jordan got seated, Valerie looked around the room at Kelly's Diner with an air of nervousness. She really wasn't in the mood to run into Lulu, Maxie, or any variation thereof. They both decided on chai tea, a recent addition to the menu. "I still don't see why we couldn't have gone back to my place," Val said, still furtively scanning the room.

"Your place? Now how would it look for the Commissioner of the Port Charles Police Department to be enjoying the hospitality of a known crime boss, even if he doesn't live there? Somehow I'm not in the mood to be explaining to the ever skulking media hounds that I was only spending time with a friend and not consorting with the enemy. Not to mention the fact that it would be kind of hypocritical for me to be hanging out there, since I'm dedicating myself to taking him and his cronies down." She took a sip of the chai and nodded in appreciation of the refreshing tea.

"I've heard the stories, and even Dante warned me not to be fooled by the charm, but Sonny just doesn't seem like such a bad guy to me. I know he's a mob boss, but-"

"That's where we part company, Val. Charm is well and good, but what he does behind the scenes isn't charming at all. Don't lose sight of that. Last thing you need to become is some kind of mob sympathizer. It's bad enough I'm trying to get T.J. to see sense—I shouldn't have the same problem with someone who works in the department."

"I'm not saying I'm ready to join his organization or anything, but I can see why people are conflicted about him, that's all."

"He shot Dante in the chest, did Dante tell you that?"

"Wow, no, he didn't. That's crazy. But then I wonder why he even deals with him? Why isn't he locked up? It doesn't make sense."

"Look, they're father and son—it's complicated. Sonny was never indicted for it. Long story, believe me, according to the rumor mill. I'm just saying that's what that 'seemingly good guy' is capable of. I don't want you to end up caught in the middle of mob crossfire before you realize what a dangerous man Sonny Corinthos is. He's willing to allow you to stay in his penthouse—fine. Enjoy his hospitality. Just never forget who he really is, ok? A ruthless man who does whatever he has to to get whatever he wants. And he called you for a meeting, did he? I wonder what he really wants from you?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All kinds of thoughts were swirling around in Valerie's head as she returned to the penthouse, mostly concerning this new information about Sonny and Dante. She and Jordan had finally parted company after they finished their tea at Kelly's, but not before Jordan's final shot, "This thing with Dante—I get it. He's fine as hell. And maybe he will go through with the divorce, even though he and his wife have a lot of history, as well as a son together. He might even turn to you. Just don't let yourself be his rebound, ok? You're worth more than that. Have fun with him. But don't be the one standing alone in the rubble of your life realizing that he was only using you to get over her, you tracking me?"

"I'm tracking you, boss. I don't intend to be."

She entered the house and saw that her answering machine light was blinking. Listening to the message, she was instructed to call the front lobby desk at her earliest convenience. When she called, she was told that a delivery would be arriving shortly at her door. Responding to the doorbell, Valerie was met at the door by George, the Harbor View Towers evening concierge. After greeting her, he handed her a bouquet of dark pink roses, saying, "These came for you a few hours ago, Miss Spencer. There was also a card"—he fumbled in his inner coat pocket—"that came with it. Enjoy your evening." "Thank you, George," she replied before closing the door and carrying the vase over to the dining table. Val opened the envelope and read the card. "Somehow, for all you did for me last night, 'Thank You' seems inadequate. The florist said pink roses are sent to show appreciation and gratitude, both of which I wanted to convey. They're beautiful, aren't they? Enjoy—D." "Whoo, that man," she thought for the second time that day. He really knew how to turn it on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

The Saturday weather in Port Charles was positively spring-like with the wind just slightly above a breeze. Dante was intending to take Rocco out to watch the local baseball club play later on in the afternoon, but first he had to tackle some housecleaning. He really was living like a bachelor—his loft was becoming a mess. He was in the middle of cleaning the kitchen when there was a forceful knock on his door, which was quickly repeated. "Someone is impatient," he thought to himself as he went to answer the knock. His curiosity turned to joy when he saw the person on the other side of the door, a joy that promptly turned to surprised alarm when he had to duck to narrowly avoid being hit upside the head. "Yo, Ma, what the hell? I don't see you for months and when I finally do, this is the way you greet me? What'd I do?"

Olivia blew into the center of the room with the force of a hurricane where she rounded on him, exclaiming, "What did you do? What did you do? What do you mean, what did you do?" The light dawned swiftly within him. "Oh. You must have heard…"

"Must have heard?" She put her hand to her head as if to keep it from blowing off. "I had three separate messages from Lulu on my answering machine waiting for me when I got home! Dante Angelo Falconeri, I don't even know what to say! I'm just—I'm just—I can't go away to get your brother settled without comin' back to hear you're blowin' up your life! I'm so angry I don't know what to do!"

"Ok, I get that. Would you like to sit down, maybe have a beer, chill out a little?"

"I'm too pissed to sit! And I'm not thirsty! I've got to go see Lulu but I thought I'd better come here first to hear what you have to say!"

"Are you sure you can be calm enough to listen, or do you want to blow up some more?"

"Don't get fresh! I'm—so—I haven't been this disappointed in you since that fight I had with Mrs. Concinini when you were ten! You remember that?"

"Mrs. Concinini-"

"Yeah, Mrs. Concinini! You broke her front window throwin' rocks and you blamed it on her son Joey! I called her every name in the book defending you against her, only to find out you had lied to me! Yellin' in the middle of the street like a fishwife over a lie! I was so embarrassed that day! That's how I feel right now, Dante! Angry, mortified, embarrassed! My kid isn't a cheater! Falconeri men don't cheat!"

Dante clutched his head in frustration before saying loudly, "Do you plan to listen to me at all, or did you just come over here to yell at me! Just let me know!"

Her initial ire somewhat abated, Olivia sat down huffily on the couch, crossing her arms. "Go ahead and try to explain!"

"Thank you. What do you know? What did she tell you?"

"SHE didn't tell me anything. There were three messages on my phone when I got home. One said that she was sorry she lied to you—for me to please call her and help her fix 'this' because you were too angry to hear her. The next one said you had cheated on her with her cousin, and she didn't think she could forgive you. She was cryin' during that one, by the way. Finally, the last message was kinda formal. She said she would always consider me family, but you two had decided to divorce. To please call when I got home from my trip. And that was it, but it was enough! Now go ahead, explain!"

"Ok. Her brother Lucky had been kidnapped. Her dad told her about it, but he also told her not to involve the cops. Meanin' me. So instead of tellin' me the truth anyway as my wife, she did what he told her to do and she lied to me. I found out she was lyin' 'cause I overheard her talkin' to someone on the phone, someone she told 'I love you' to. When I asked her who she was talkin' to, she said 'Maxie' which I knew was a lie. So I got curious and followed her. She went to the Quartermaine house, where Dillon Quartermaine greeted her wearin' a towel and nothin' else. She told him she really needed to talk to him, and they went inside. So I knew somethin' was goin' on between them, somethin' she wasn't sharin' with me, ok? I gave her chance after chance to tell me the truth, but she kept lyin'! Finally, she tells me she's gotta go to her grandmother's in Italy to help her out. She's busted her leg, ankle, somethin'. I find out that's a lie. She's in Canada with Dillon, not Italy."

"How'd you find that out?"

"I'm a detective—I detected it. I made some phone calls, tracked some credit card transactions. And I was pissed. And I started drinkin'."

"Oh, Dante. What then?"

"I decided I was gonna to fly to Canada, confront Lulu and kick Dillon's ass. That was my big plan."

"Where does the cousin come into it?"

"It's too complicated to explain. Just know she was there tryin' to support me, ok?"

"I'll bet she was!"

"Ok, Ma, you know what? I'm willin' to tell you if you're willin' to listen but I'm not havin' you talk bad about Val! She's been my rock through all this crap!"

"You tryin' to defend her to me?"

"If I have to. She's off limits, ok? I mean it."

Olivia was struck by how emphatic he was about defending Lulu's cousin. "There's somethin' there," she thought, deciding to leave her theories about Valerie's involvement for a later discussion. "Fine," she said aloud, "she's off limits. Go on."

"Ok. First I asked Val to watch Rocco while I flew to Canada. She talked me out of it, sayin' wait until the mornin', when my head was clearer. I stewed all night, and in the mornin', I went to Sonny's to ask him to watch Rocco for me—told him what I suspected. I decided to go to Canada. I was gonna light them both up. He said he would watch him, so I went. When I got there, I badged one of the maids there and got her to let me in their room. Their one, single room. Bed's unmade, clothes all over the place, room service half eaten. I saw her nightshirt on the bed, and somethin' inside me just clicked off. I was beyond furious at that point, and I left."

"Whadda you mean, you left? What'd Lulu say when you confronted her? That's the whole reason you went there, right?"

"I didn't see her, Ma. I didn't confront her. I just left. I couldn't stay and wait. I just left."

"So she wasn't there, and you didn't wait for her, you just flew back home? Dante, that doesn't make sense! Why'd you bother to go all the way up there if you weren't gonna-"

"I'm tellin' you, Ma, there was no rational thought goin' on! Up until that point, the angriest I'd ever been in my life was with you after I found out Sonny was my father. It was like a red haze was coverin' my eyes. I was just—there was only rage. That's all. I came home. And kept drinkin'."

"I'm sensin' a theme here. Alcohol. You really are my kid, aren't you? Then what happened?"

"Valerie came by to check on me 'cause I had my phone off. I told her what I saw. She kept tryin' to tell me I didn't see what I knew I saw, kept tryin' to come up with reasons why I was wrong. Tellin' me I couldn't give up on what I had. But at that point, I told her why should I hold on when Lulu had let go already. And she was standin' there feelin' so bad for me. And I was attracted to her, Ma, have been from the beginnin' but I never woulda acted on it, never. But I was pissed, my wife was lyin' to me, cheatin' on me, and I didn't care anymore. And we just-" Dante sighed heavily.

"Ok, I see it now. I get it. But if Lulu cheated first, why did she leave me that message about you cheatin' with her cousin?"

"Because she didn't cheat on me. She had lied to me, but she went to Canada to help rescue her brother, not to cheat on me. But it was too late by then. I'd already slept with Valerie."

"So she comes back, you two clear the air—where does divorce come into it?"

Dante began pacing the room in agitation. He would almost rather be in the dentist's chair than have this conversation with his mother, because he didn't think he could explain it in a way she would understand. Still, she was waiting for an explanation, so he had to try.

"Ok. This is hard. When she first got back, we had a big blow up. I accused her of cheatin'. She told me the truth and begged me to forgive her. But I didn't tell her about Val and me. I couldn't. I talked to Val about it, told her I wanted to try to work on my marriage, asked her to keep it quiet. She agreed to. But somethin' was happenin' inside me the whole time. I couldn't touch Lulu. I tried. I wanted to get things back to where they were, but it wasn't possible. And I started thinkin' about—like you said—how Falconeri men don't cheat. I let myself down, I let the family down. I let Lulu down. I'd become someone I swore I'd never be. But I wouldn't have become this guy if my wife hadn't lied to me. I'm not sayin' she made me cheat. That's not it. But the door was opened and I walked through it because I thought she had let go first. I acted on my attraction to Valerie because I thought my marriage was already over. All these negative thoughts started swirlin' around in my head. I was legit conflicted, Ma, I swear. I loved my wife, but somethin' inside me had turned off, and I couldn't touch her. It was guilt, but it was also anger. And there was also Val inside my head, too. This sweet woman who had been nothin' but a support to me when I needed it most. And I was just confused. I went to Sonny to get some advice, that's how messed up I was. He actually told me to confess, and let Lulu decide how we went on after she knew. I had told Sonny before that I kissed Val, he told Carly, and she told Lulu. So Lulu knew about the kiss but not about the other thing. She was tryin' to forgive me, she said, for the kiss. But I still couldn't get close to her. She suggested counselin', which I agreed to. And then she overheard me and Val talkin', well, yellin' really and she found out we had slept together."

"You and Val were yellin'? What were you yellin' about if she'd already agreed to keep her mouth shut?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is Lulu overheard us, and that was it. She reamed me out, she moved herself and Rocco out to Wyndemere, and we were done. She found out what I had done, and she left me again, this time with my son."

"You blame her? She just found out her husband had cheated on her with her cousin!"

"It's not that I blamed her exactly. I just decided I wasn't gonna chase her this time. Every time somethin' major happens between us that she doesn't like or approve of, she leaves me. And this was huge, Ma, I get that. But why was it ok for her to lie to me when she always leaves me for doin' the same thing? I couldn't—can't—get past that. Everything is always on her terms. She decides when she leaves, she decides when she stays. And I just didn't want to do it anymore. I'm a cheater. And she's a liar. And there we are. I saw a lifetime of me messin' up, beggin' her for another chance, and her decidin' whether or not to forgive me, or her pullin' what I did with Val out like some kind of free pass to hold over my head whenever we disagreed. And I just didn't wanna do it anymore."

"Ok, baby. I hear you, ok? But this is fixable, Dante. You don't have to get divorced because of this! It'll take time, but you two can work through this. I think seein' a counselor is a good idea. It's not a quick fix—there isn't one for this—but what you two have is strong enough to get past this one blip, even though it's pretty big."

"Our hearts are already too far apart, Ma. It could never be repaired to what it was. It's too far gone to get it back."

"And how much of that is down to Miss Valerie?"

Dante walked over to the window and stared out, his jaw clenching. "I told you I don't want to talk about her, Ma, ok? Not with you, 'cause you won't understand. I barely do! Just forget about her in this!"

"I can't, Dante! I heard how you talked about her just now! She's in this up to her pretty little neck! For all I know, she was waitin' for a crack to appear so she could jump on in!"

Dante whirled away from the window to face his mother angrily. "I told you, she's off limits! Trust me; you don't want me talkin' about her, anyway! You won't like what you hear!"

"I already don't like what I'm hearin' from you! I think part of the reason you're so sure your marriage is over is because of her! What exactly is this girl to you that you are just fine throwin' away your relationship with Lulu?"

"I DON'T KNOW, MA! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANNA HEAR? I don't know what she is to me! But you know what? I wanna find out! There! I said it! I admitted it! You happy? I've had her in my arms, and I liked it! And I want her, Ma! I had her once, and I wanna have her again! Is that what you wanted to hear-"

Before she could stop herself, Olivia slapped him hard. They both stood there, stunned and breathing heavily. They had tears forming in their eyes as they regarded one another—Olivia with her hand over her mouth in shock, Dante with this look of sad surprise on his face. "I can't believe I just did that," she whispered softly, adding, "I'm so sorry, baby. I can't believe I just-" She reached out to touch his face, and he jerked away reflexively. The anger was suddenly gone from the room as if it had just evaporated. Only shock and sadness remained.

Dante felt a tear roll down his cheek and as he sat down on the couch, he sniffed, "That's ok, Ma. How you felt is how you felt. It's whatever."

"It's not ok, Dante. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

In front of his mother, his façade finally crumbled, and he began crying as he asked, "Can you forgive me? For letting you down? For this whole mess? Can you forgive me?"

Olivia sat next to him and gathered him into her arms, her tears beginning to roll as well. "Of course, baby. There's nothing for me to forgive. You're my oldest, my first best thing. You're stuck with me forever." She held him until his tears eventually ceased, and then she wiped his face with her hand and kissed his cheek before hugging him. "Of course you also know," she told him when he was calmer, "that Lulu will always be my daughter."

"I don't want that to change, Ma. You have a relationship—and you're Rocco's grandmother. I'm ok with you being on her side in this."

"That's good, because I love you both. Somehow, eventually, it's all gonna work out. It's got to."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	16. Chapter 16

Ch. 16

Moments before she swept into his home office, Max tried to give Sonny a head's up with, "Yo, Boss, tornado at twelve o'clock." Sonny could see Olivia was agitated; some delicate handling would be necessary, he supposed. "Hey, Olivia, how you doin'? It's good to see you back-" Olivia threw her purse on the couch, exclaiming, "How do you think I'm doin', Sonny? I come home from my trip to find our son wreckin' his life! I got all these messages from Lulu and I talked to Dante myself—these kids are in a mess, and I wanna know why you aren't doin' more to help them!"

"Ok, first off, I'm not tryin' to interfere because this is their business-"

"Sonny, this isn't some little argument they're havin'! They're talkin' about divorce! You shoulda been talkin' Dante out of this! What have you been doin'?"

"Look, I know sometimes when you're grievin' you want to focus on anything that will distract you from hurtin', I get it. But I think you're makin' a mistake focusin' on this, Olivia, ok? You've gotta let the kids handle-"

"Of course I'm upset! This is the last thing I want for my son, or his wife! I was there when they got married—I heard the vows they made! They're makin' a huge mistake—one I think they'll regret! We need to stop them!"

"Actually, I was talkin' about you losin' your little boy." That stopped Olivia in her tracks. She'd forgotten that no one knew Damiano was still alive. She was going to have to get her points across while behaving like a grief-stricken mother to protect both of her sons.

"Yeah, well," she finally responded, "I'm dealin' with losin' him the best way I can, day by day. But that doesn't mean I can't try to intervene with Dante, talk some sense into him! Lulu told me you offered to let this Valerie stay in your penthouse. That Dante asked you, and you gave permission. Why on earth would you do that? It would have been better for you to let her leave town if she didn't have anywhere else to go!"

"Why should this girl have to leave town like she's the only one who did somethin' wrong? I didn't think that was right, Olivia. Plus Dante asked me to help, and he never comes to me for anything, so I didn't see any problem with givin' him what he was askin' for."

"What's your angle here, Sonny? What's in this for you?"

"Why's there gotta be an angle?"

"Because with you, there always is. What are you getting' out of all this?"

"Ok. I like this girl. I met her, and I like her. She seems like a nice kid. For whatever reason, ever since she's been around, Dante's been reachin' out to me more. Maybe a coincidence, I don't know, but it's just somethin' I noticed. He actually came to me and asked me to watch Rocco for him while he went out of town. He came to me for advice. He asked me for a favor with this penthouse deal. It's usually like pullin' teeth to get him to take anything from me—now he's seekin' me out. If Val bein' around is the reason, then it's in my interests to keep her around."

"So you're usin' her to get to Dante?"

"It's more like, whadda call it—quid pro quo, yeah. She's gettin' somethin' and I'm gettin' somethin'. She's gettin' a place to live, and I'm gettin' a relationship with my son. Win win."

"And what about Lulu and Rocco in all this? Are you thinkin' about them at all?"

"Yeah, I'm thinkin' about them as much as Dante is. In my opinion, Lulu set this whole thing in motion from the beginnin' when she lied to Dante. And Rocco is young—as long as he has both parents lookin' after him, he'll be fine. Look, Dante's made his decision, right? He feels like the marriage is broken. I'm supportin' whatever he decides. And Lulu doesn't like me. Even though Dante claimed she wasn't keepin' him away from me with her attitude, now that she's slowly bein' taken out of the picture, he seems to be comin' around more. That works for me. Financially they'll be taken care of—emotionally isn't my problem, it's Dante's. And he's made his choice."

"That's cold-blooded, even for you! You'll help your son destroy his life just to get closer to him? That's twisted, Sonny! There's nothin' right about what you're doin'! You should be encouragin' him to stay with his wife and son! They need to work this out and save their marriage, and that's what you should be tellin' him!

"Olivia, Dante's a grown man, ok? He's come at this thing from every angle, and this is what he's decided he wants to do. What he needs to do. What he thinks is best. I'm gonna support him, end of. Our kid is just like us when it comes to doin' the 'right thing'. He's gonna do whatever he thinks is best regardless of what anyone else says. Just like you."

"Meanin' what exactly? That we shouldn't even try to steer him in the right direction? Just let him make this mistake and ruin three lives?"

"Their lives aren't ruined, just on a different track from the one they thought they'd be on. It happens. And doin' what's right is subjective, isn't it, dependin' on what we really want to do. For instance, I've got nothin' for Julian Jerome. I think he's one of the biggest scumbags out there. But even believin' that about him, I think he has the right to raise his kid."

"Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? If it is, it's disgustin', even for you!"

"No, it's not a joke. Where's the kid now? With Ashton? Where've you got him stashed?"

"I can't believe what you're sayin'! My baby's gone and you're makin' jokes-"

"Stop it! Stop it now. I've lost more than one child myself! That ain't somethin' to be makin' light of, Olivia! You shouldn't even be able to think it, much less say it out loud! You talk about the right thing. The right thing for you to do would be you bringin' your boy home and lettin' him get to know his father! You didn't learn anything from keepin' me and Dante apart?"

They stood there staring one another down until Olivia finally broke the silence. "How'd you know? Did Dante tell you?"

"So Dante knows he's alive, too? No, he didn't tell me. You did. I suspected it, and you just confirmed it. How'd I know? Lemme tell you somethin'. I know you. You are straight fire, a real dynamo. That's just who you usually are. But when you're hurt, down-to-the-bones hurt, you're just the opposite. You're quiet, in-tro-spec-tive. Subdued. That's the only time you are quiet! If you were really grievin' the loss of your son, you wouldn't have blown in here the way you did. Your come-across would have been totally different."

"What do you plan to do with what you know? You gonna tell Julian?"

"Right now, it ain't my business to tell."

"What does that mean, 'right now'?"

"Look, Olivia. Dante's goin' through enough with all this stuff. He doesn't need you naggin' at him when he's already doin' what he thinks is the right thing. I'm sayin' leave him alone, and just support whatever he decides to do."

"Sounds like some kinda blackmail—either leave Dante alone to do what he plans to do, which is divorcing Lulu, or you might tell Julian about the baby. Is that what you're sayin'?"

"I'm sayin' we all have an idea of what the 'right thing' is. I'm tellin' you you should let Jerome be a part of his kid's life, but you're not gonna let that change your mind, are you? You're doin' what you think is right. So is Dante. So leave him alone."

"Still sounds like a threat to me."

"You call it a threat—I call it levelin' the field. You don't mess with Dante; I won't rock your boat with Jerome. I think that's fair. You don't have to be his conscience, Olivia. Just be his mother."

Somehow, this discussion hadn't gone anywhere close to the way Olivia had intended it to. Angrily, she snatched her purse off of the couch with an audible snort of fury before she began stomping out of the room. She had to concede the field this time; there was more at stake than Dante's and Lulu's marriage—she had Damiano to consider.

"Hey Olivia," Sonny stopped her before she stalked away.

"What?" she said as she whirled around in frustration.

"It's always good to see you. Welcome home." The only answer he got was a slammed door. He chuckled to himself as he sat down behind his desk. "Round one to me, I think." His smile faded as he thought about this new information, and what, if anything, he should do with it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Across town, Valerie was having a confrontation of her own, with her conscience. She considered herself to be a responsible person for the most part, but she was afraid of what she was admitting by doing what she was here to do. She was sitting in the waiting area on the OB/GYN floor of General Hospital, her leg bouncing in her nervousness as she hoped that the Saturday hours would mean less traffic. Less of a chance someone here would recognize her. "I'm just trying to be careful, to be mature and sensible. It would be better for me to take care of this now than to get caught up and make another mistake." In the middle of her musings, Dr. Lee's receptionist approached her, saying, "Dr. Lee is ready to see you now." The receptionist guided her to Dr. Lee's examination room.

Leaning slightly forward, Dr. Lee extended her hand as she said, "So you're Valerie. I'm Dr. Lee. It's good to meet you. You told my receptionist you thought you might need a pelvic exam. Have you been noticing any problems lately?"

"I wanted to get a prescription for birth control—I thought I would need to have an exam first."

"Not necessarily. Let's talk about your medical history, the different types of birth control available, see what's right for you, ok? Are you currently sexually active?" Valerie was at a loss how to answer. What should she say? That she had been, that she currently wasn't but that it felt like it was only a matter of time? What was it about answering these kinds of questions that made her feel like she should be sitting in an interrogation room with bright lights shining in her face? She was uncomfortable but she was going to do the responsible thing if it killed her. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to respond to Dr. Lee's questions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante was walking up and down the various aisles in the local drug store, after having come to a decision of his own. Every now and then, he would pick up something he didn't need and place it in his basket. He had barely stopped himself from grabbing a tin of cat food when he decided he was being ridiculous. He was a grown man. He was being responsible and protecting himself and Valerie. This thing between them wasn't going away but was gaining traction and getting stronger. He didn't want to be caught off-guard with her again. He wanted to be prepared. So why was he standing here feeling like some middle-schooler attempting to lift his first beer? He finally found himself in the aisle with the various types of condoms. Too many choices. It had been a long time since he'd needed them. There also seemed to be some new and different options since he'd last made a purchase. While he was contemplating his choices, a man he didn't know came up and started perusing his options. With a sheepish nod to Dante, the man snatched a box from the rack and hurriedly walked away. "That's it," Dante said to himself in disgust. He went to each of the previously visited aisles, putting the items he hadn't needed back on the shelves. "I came in here to get condoms and condoms alone. I'm buyin' them like a man, not some sneaky little kid." Finally making a selection of his own, he made his way to the register at the front of the store and placed his selection with boldness on the counter. "Hey man," the kid behind the register inquired, "This do it for you?" "Yeah, that's it." "Fifteen ninety-nine." Dante paid the kid, took the package and left the store, exhaling in relief. "There. Was that so hard?" he asked himself. "Yeah," he answered within, "it kind of was." Buying condoms again after years of not needing them or having a root canal—which was worse? The way he was feeling right now, he really couldn't say.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17

Saturday evening found Dante brooding once again as he sat on his couch in the empty loft. It was amazing to him how almost nothing in the small space had changed and yet everything was different. He wondered what Rocco was doing right now. It wouldn't be too long before his bedtime—he imagined Norma was probably preparing his bath. Or maybe Lulu was doing it. Six months ago he would have known exactly what his family was doing, because they would be doing it here with him. It would take time, he knew, but he was going to have to get used to being on his own in this lonely loft. Maybe. Who could really tell what the future held? He thought he should get off the couch and do something or go somewhere but he was lacking the energy and the desire. He finally decided to turn on the television as a distraction. He always had the Yankees.

He was just getting into the game when there was a strong knock at his door. For a moment, he flashed back to his mother standing on the other side of the door with her iron fist, and he hoped it wasn't her. He loved his Ma but he so wasn't in the mood for any more of her tirades, or the emotions associated with them. Peace was what he was after. He got up and answered the knock. Peace was going to have to take a back seat tonight. Holding aloft two six-packs of beer and bags of snacks, Michael and Morgan were saying, "Hey, Dante—took you long enough to get the door!" "Yeah," added Morgan, "you asleep or something?" They pushed past him to set their bounty down on the coffee table and Morgan let out a small whoop when he realized Dante already had the game on.

"What brings you guys by? And how'd you end up together?"

"We both had the idea to go see Avery and spend some time with her. While we were there, Dad told us what was going on with you and he said we should come check on you. So here we are."

"I'm always glad to see you guys but I'm fine, so-"

"Hey, we've got snacks, brews, and the Yankees. We're staying, right Michael?"

Michael gave his older brother a hard examination before answering, "Yeah, I think we are, Morgan. Dante, we don't have to talk if you don't want to, but we're here, so if you need to vent, go for it. That's the main reason we came."

Putting his hand on top of his head, Dante looked at his brothers in consternation. "What exactly did Sonny tell you that made you think I needed to blow off steam?"

"Well, for starters," replied Morgan, "your mother is back in town. That's gotta be making you think of your little brother. We know you didn't really get any time with him but you were looking forward to being a big brother again. We didn't want you sitting over here all sad and alone and stuff. And speaking of alone, he also told us you and Lulu are breaking up. Sorry to hear that, bro."

Michael added, "What Morgan's trying to say in his clumsy way is that we're here to support you. I'm really sorry to hear about you and Lulu, too. If anybody would make it, I thought it would be you two. What happened?"

"It's a long story. It's enough to say something started small, built to something bigger until she and I just imploded. I don't know if I have the stomach to go into it all again. I feel like between Lulu, Sonny and my Ma, I'm all talked out about it."

"Does it have anything to do with you cheating on Lulu?" wondered Morgan aloud.

"Morgan, damn—do you even know what tact is?" Michael was suddenly exasperated with his younger brother. "We're here to make things better, not worse, ok!"

"I was just asking! I heard Mom and Dad talking about it—Mom was saying Lulu was out for blood and she was afraid for Cousin Valerie. Dad said he thought Valerie could take care of herself. Then they saw me standing there and they changed the subject. I figured if Lulu was that pissed, she would probably leave with Rocco. That's what happened, isn't it?"

Letting out a short bark of laughter, Dante said, "Ok, I guess you guys are going to make me talk about it whether I want to or not. Long story short, Lulu lied to me about something, which made me think she was cheating on me with Dillon Quartermaine. I got pissed, got drunk, and ended up sleeping with your cousin Valerie. We were both hurting, it was wrong, but it happened. Lulu found out, decided she couldn't forgive me and left with Rocco, then later decided maybe she could forgive me, if she tried real hard. By then, I was too angry to hear or care because I felt like her lies set all this crap in motion, so I'm actually the one pursuing the divorce, not her."

"Wah, Dante, that's deep. I thought you and Lulu were gonna be lifers."

"Well, Morgan, let that be a lesson to you. Don't lie to your partner in a relationship." Dante nodded knowingly when Morgan suddenly couldn't meet his eyes. "Listen, kid, truth hurts, but uncovered lies hurt worse and they destroy trust. Whatever you're doing that's causing you to not be able to look me in the eye, knock it off. Just play it straight, ok? Don't be a jerk."

Morgan protested, "You don't know what you're talking about! I'm not doing anything!"

"Your face says otherwise, little brother. I'm a trained lie detector, remember? I'm just saying, whatever you're doing, clean it up and don't screw over people you claim to love." Dante turned to Michael and asked, "Why aren't you chiming in here?"

"Because Morgan is hard-headed—I don't like wasting my time. He doesn't know what to do with good advice."

"Oh, because you're so wise? Give me a break."

"Wise enough to know I've got something good with Sabrina. Wise enough to treat her well and not play games with her. You and Kiki and this ridiculous dance you two do—it's whatever. Dysfunction Junction."

"Hey, you don't know enough about me and Kiki's relationship to talk like that and after what you did with her in the first place-"

Dante quickly intervened before the argument exploded with, "Ok, shut up! If you guys want to fight, go back to the ring. I'm not in the mood to have to play referee for you. Watch the game, drink your beers, stop being annoying. So Michael, this thing with Sabrina. It sounds like it's getting serious."

With a rueful grin, Michael explained, "I'm trying to take things slow, I really am. The more I'm with her though, I can't help it—I'm falling for her. I'm avoiding the 'L' word for now but if things keep going the way they're going, I don't know. I thought I was in love in the past but this feels different, so I'm taking it slow. She means a lot to me and I don't want to lose what we're building. She makes me want to be, I don't know, more somehow. Man that sounds sappy when I say it out loud."

"Sounds like you're already in love whether you say it out loud or not. I'm glad for you, Michael, I really am. Just remember, be honest about your feelings, be honest period. I don't want you to end up like me."

"I still remember the day you told me you had gotten married. I was reeling from losing Abby in Chicago and you were sitting across from me, twisting your new wedding ring back and forth. I remember thinking how lucky you were to have the one you loved alive and well so you could marry her. I still can't believe this is happening to you guys. But what's the story with Cousin Valerie? How does she fit into all this?"

Dante considered his words carefully before responding, "Ok. You guys are my brothers, and you're not little kids, so I'll speak frankly. I don't know where she fits in, exactly. But I want to find out. She pulls something from me, which I never expected to have happen. We didn't set out to cheat but it happened anyway between us because there was always something there from the beginning. I don't know what any of it means yet—it's pretty confusing."

Looking at him sideways, Michael said, "You're not usually unsure about anything you do. This is rare for you. Makes me want to meet our cousin just that much more, since she seems to be the cause. I know one thing—Sonny seems to like her, too. We'll have to set up a time so you can introduce us."

"She's your family; you don't need a set time to have me introduce her to you. She's staying at Sonny's penthouse and she's working at the PCPD. Just seek her out. I'm sure she wants to meet you, too."

"I feel kind of bad for Lulu, too, though. Like maybe I shouldn't be looking like I'm choosing sides or something."

"You're not choosing sides, Michael. They're both your cousins. You can meet Val and still support Lulu. It doesn't have to be an 'either/or' kind of thing…"

Morgan interrupted their conversation by abruptly exclaiming, "This game bites! I can't believe the Yanks are losing to the White Sox! It's a good thing we're not actually in the stands! You'd be going ape by now, Dante!" Dante thought of his discussion with Valerie about that very thing and he began laughing. "I was just telling someone a few days ago how animated I get about the Yankees, especially when I'm watching in the ballpark. We should plan to take in a game sometime before the season ends this year."

"I'm not gonna let you forget you said that," Morgan quickly retorted, adding, "I'm gonna hold you to it."

The game was over and the night was wearing on. Both Morgan and Michael were trying to stifle their yawns when Dante told them, "Look, thanks for coming by—it was good to see you both, and to actually see you getting along. You don't have to feel like you need to be hanging out when you're obviously tired, though. I'm probably gonna head to bed in a while myself. How are you guys getting home? I'm not sure you should be driving-"

"I'm going to call for my driver," said Michael, stretching his arms over his head as he yawned again. "You can keep the rest of the beer and stuff."

Dante walked them to the door after thanking them once again for stopping by. It was as if they took all the life and energy out of the loft with them when they left—the silence was deafening. He should just turn in, go to bed. And he would do that, but he wanted to make a phone call first…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie looked over at her Caller ID and smiled as she answered on the second ring. "Hello, hello, hello!" she said cheerfully. "Hey, you," Dante replied with a smile of his own, "What are you doing right now?"

"What am I not doing is a better question! I'm lying here playing around on my laptop, I've got the game on—sorry about your boys, by the way—and I'm listening to videos on YouTube."

"Listening to videos? Don't you usually watch videos?"

"You do if you're not playing games in another window! I'm probably overstimulating myself but I wanted the distractions. Why? What are you doing right now?"

"My brothers Frick and Frack, otherwise known as Michael and Morgan, just left. Sonny sent them over here to cheer me up. I was kind of annoyed at first but now I'm glad they showed up. It was lively here for a while, but now it's quiet again, and I wanted to hear a voice. Your voice. I've been thinking about you one way and another all day."

"Really? I've been thinking about you, too. I wanted to thank you for my flowers. You're right; they're beautiful. I was going to call but I didn't want to disturb you—I know sometimes you need your down time. I don't want to seem like a pest-"

"Listen, anytime you want to, go ahead and call me, ok? You're not a pest or a bother or any other negative thing you could call yourself that would keep you from calling me. And you're welcome. I wanted you to know I was thinking of you and I appreciated you allowing me to stay at your place and crash. I'm glad you liked them. By the way, my brothers mentioned they want to meet you."

"I should meet them. It's still so strange to go from having no one but my mom to having all these aunts, uncles and cousins. I'm trying to get used to it, though. It's nice to not feel so alone."

"I know exactly how you feel—I went through the same thing when I found out I was Sonny's kid. Instant family with a father, brothers and a sister, cousins—the whole works. It was overwhelming at first. Now I can barely remember when they weren't in my life. Not to change the subject," he went on, changing the subject, "but I did something today because I was thinking of you."

"What did you do?"

"Let's just say that what happened the other night won't be happening again."

"Because you don't want it to happen?"

"Because now I'm better prepared. The next time you ask me the question you asked that night, I'll have a different answer. I think you understand what I'm saying." Her stomach dropped at the implication and she took a quick breath before swallowing hard. She had an admission of her own to share in return and so she told him, "I guess great minds think alike. I went to GH today and saw Dr. Lee."

"Is everything ok? You're not sick, are you?"

"Not a bit—everything's perfect. But I thought I should make some preparations myself to prevent certain complications cropping up if and when we're ever in that same type of situation again."

Dante was quiet for a moment before responding, "You realize what we're really saying, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I mean, that one time wasn't planned but if we're taking certain steps, both of us, we're saying we're ready to go to the next level together. Is that the way you understand it?"

"Yeah. This thing between us isn't going away—it's getting stronger. I'm not some kind of sex maniac, but lately, I can't stop thinking about-"

"Trust me; I'm right there with you-"

"And I want you so bad I can taste it. I can't believe I just admitted that to you. But I'm not taking it back." Once again, Dante fell silent. "Are you ok with what I said? What are you thinking about?" she asked him.

"I'm trying to convince myself not to jump in the car. I want us to be clear-headed about all this, Val. Take it slow. I'm glad we're both on the same page here, though, trying to be responsible. I hated having to stop the other night."

Valerie sighed and covered her face with her hands. "We should stop talking about this, though. I'm getting frustrated all over again."

Laughing and nodding as if she could see him through the phone, Dante replied, "Soon. I plan to take care of that very soon. For both of us. I think I can go to sleep now; maybe it'll be my turn to have a sex dream tonight."

"You're not gonna let me forget that, are you?"

"When I was the star of the show? Not likely. Have a good night, Val."

"You too, Dante. Thanks a lot for getting me all hot and bothered over here! If I end up tangled up in my bedsheets again tonight, I'll be coming for you, just so you know!"

"I sincerely hope so!"

"That's NOT what I meant!"

"I know, but that doesn't stop me from hoping. Or fantasizing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	18. Chapter 18

Ch. 18

The beginning of the workweek started in a mundane fashion. Dante, having to testify in court that morning had chosen to wear his "court suit," a dark blue/light blue combination with a yellow accent tie. He arrived at the courthouse shortly after nine A.M. but it was almost ten-thirty before he was called to the stand. He had been the primary in the double homicide case being prosecuted and he consulted his notes as he answered questions from the district attorney. Remaining cool under cross examination, he asserted that yes, the defendant on trial was indeed the culprit, having been caught with the murder weapon in his possession, as well as the stolen goods from the robbery committed before the murders that he'd been unable to fence. Once the defendant's attorney realized that Dante was unshakable in his testimony, he ended his questioning, and since there was no redirect, Dante was finally free to leave.

Something the DA had mentioned about the commission of the robbery aspect of the crime had sparked Dante's curiosity about another case, an older one, and he, after having changed from the suit to his trademark khakis and casual t-shirt, made his way to the basement where the older records were kept. One of the projects Valerie was involved in was scanning the old records onto the PCPD database. A laborious task that was involving all of the administrative aides on staff, Valerie was spending more and more time in the basement because she was in charge of the project. He was hoping to get a chance to chat with her but when he entered the room, he found himself alone. Putting his disappointment aside, he got to work after he had located the file in question. The manner in which the robbery was carried out reminded him of Joey Robbs' earlier work. He wondered if Robbs could have been an accomplice to the double homicide. He couldn't imagine Robbs escalating from robbery to murder but he wasn't quite willing to rule him out, either. Thinking of Joey reminded him that he hadn't heard from Nathan all day. It was getting late in the day; he wondered if his partner had eaten lunch without calling him. He checked his phone and realized the basement was a dead zone, and he wasn't getting service.

Ascending from the basement, Dante noticed that he had two missed calls, both from Nathan. He tried to call his partner twice; his calls were sent to voicemail. Nathan wasn't answering his phone. Finally listening to the messages, Dante heard, "Hey man, it's me. I got a tip from Scribbs about Joey Robbs running a fencing ring down on Perry Street, in the old abandoned paper mill. I'm thinking about going down there and nosing around. Catch you later." The second message was "Hey, that tip from Scribbs was legit—something is going on down here. I want to check it out. Tag me back when you get this message, or just come down here." Dante looked at his watch and realized both messages had been left over a half an hour ago. He ran to his car as he tried once again to reach Nathan. Still no answer. He had a bad feeling…

Eventually, he arrived in the area of the old mill. He parked down the street a ways from the area since he didn't want to be conspicuous. Somehow he had to connect with Nathan without alerting anyone in the mill to his presence. Deciding to approach from the alley behind the mill, Dante felt a prickling sensation in the back of his neck, and he drew his gun from its holster. He wasn't necessarily expecting trouble, but something didn't feel right. Moving furtively through the alley he saw—something—a few yards ahead of him. It took him a moment to realize what he was actually seeing. A body. He was already running before he knew it, skidding to a stop and almost falling as he rushed to his partner's side.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fumbling for his cell phone, Dante reminded himself, "One second to panic. Only one second to panic. Then, fix the problem." He dialed 911 and the operator came on the line immediately. "911. What is the nature of your emergency?" "This is Detective Dante Falconeri, badge number 2503. I've got an officer down, I repeat, officer down in the alley behind the Perry Street paper mill. I'm gonna need some units down here; I also need a bus. His breathing is shallow and he's unconscious. I don't know how long he's been down. He's bleeding from the back from—I can't tell whether he's been shot or stabbed. There's a lot of blood…" "I've got units as well as an ambulance en route to your location, Detective. Please stay on the line until they arrive." He could hear the sirens in the distance and he whispered, "Yo, West, help is on the way. Stay with me, buddy, ok?" The ambulance arrived seconds before three separate police units came around the corner with concerned cops rushing into the alley. As the paramedics began working on Nathan, Dante was shouting orders to his subordinates. "Scour this alley and inside the mill. Look for anything he might have been stabbed with or any kind of weapon. There's supposed to be some kind of fencing ring being operated out of here. Find me something or someone who can corroborate that. Find Scribbs—his tip brought Nathan down here. I need to know if it was a legit tip or a setup. And run Joey Robbs to ground—I want his ass in lockup before end of shift!" Running to his car, he followed the ambulance to General Hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Commissioner met Dante in the Emergency Department of General Hospital, demanding answers he just didn't have. He didn't know what prompted Nathan to go to the mill on his own. He didn't know why he hadn't called it in or waited for backup. From the messages he left on Dante's voicemail, he was scouting only—he probably wasn't expecting trouble. Until they could actually talk to Nathan, everyone was in the dark.

After assessment and stabilization, Nathan was wheeled into surgery. More and more of the PCPD spilled into the waiting area as they waited for word on Nathan's condition. Maxie came flying around the corner, closely followed by Lulu and Dillon. "Where is he? How is he? What happened?" she asked in rapid succession as she repeatedly wiped falling tears. "I don't know, Maxie," replied Dante, adding, "I found him in the alley behind the old mill on Perry Street. He was working on a robbery case and he got a tip that he was following up on. So far, that's all I know, except it seems that he was stabbed in the back. Assailant or assailants unknown. We're gonna have to wait for more information from him when he wakes up." "Where are the doctors? Why isn't anyone telling us anything?" Maxie wondered in frustration. "I think his mother went to see what she could find out—maybe she'll come back with an update," Dante told her. Patrick Drake overheard Dante as he walked up to them. "Dr. Obrecht is still observing the surgery, which is ongoing. I can tell you what I know so far. The main issues being addressed right now are a traumatic pneumothorax due to a punctured lung and hypovolemia, or blood loss volume. Thankfully, Dante got to him just in time—hypovolemic shock has been ruled out, but only barely. He's gonna need a blood transfusion, so if any of you want to go the lab and give blood, that would be a help to him. There was no spinal trauma; it appears that whatever was used to stab him missed his spine by inches. Dr. Kamaal is one of the best surgeons on staff so Nathan's in good hands. Barring any complications, his prognosis is excellent. He should make a full recovery. He's healthy, he's strong—those factors are in his favor, Maxie. I know this will sound trite, but try not to worry, ok?"

Maxie launched herself into Patrick's arms gratefully. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She kissed his cheek and he laughed, "Dr. Kamaal is the one doing the surgery, not me. All I did was give you an update on his condition. Once the surgery is finished, I'm sure he'll come out and explain what was done and what to expect after surgery. Just hang tight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After having checked her messages, Valerie quickly made her way to GH. Dante called and told her Nathan was in the hospital with stab wounds to his back. Once he told her what he knew, he asked her to come to the hospital as soon as she could. He sounded shaky on the phone, reaction setting in, no doubt. He was worried for his partner and his friend. She was concerned, too.

She finally arrived at the waiting area and she saw that many of her PCPD co-workers were already there in support of their fallen comrade. Approaching Dante and tapping his back lightly, she asked, "What have you heard so far? How's he doing?" He turned to her with a look of relief and replied, "I think he's gonna be ok. Patrick Drake told us what he could about how the surgery was goin' so far, what problems they were tryin' to fix, stuff like that. I was so scared, Val. There was so much blood…"

"But you found him in time, that's the important thing. You took care of him and got him help. He's alive because of you—don't forget that."

"I shoulda been with him—he shouldn't have gone to the mill alone! I don't know what he was thinkin'! He tried to reach me but I was in the basement records room and I missed his calls. I keep thinkin' if only I'd checked my phone messages sooner! I feel guilty, like I let him down somehow."

"You saved his life, Dante! It's not your fault the basement is a dead zone. Just be glad-" She was interrupted by Maxie's shrill voice behind her. "What are you doing here? You're not welcome here! I don't want you here! You should just leave-" Dante quickly cut her off, saying, "I asked her to come, Maxie." "Well, I don't want her here! Lulu doesn't want her here! She's making everyone uncomfortable by being here!" To Val she said, "You should just go."

In a low voice, Val whispered to Dante, "I don't want to stress anyone out. The situation is tense enough. Maybe I should go-" Overhearing her, Maxie repeated, "Yeah, you should just go."

As Val moved to leave, Dante stopped her with an upraised hand, saying, "She's not goin' anywhere. I asked her to come here, and she has as much right to be here as anyone. You don't have the right to tell her to leave." Lulu tried to intervene with Maxie. "Maxie, it's ok-" "IT'S NOT OK! I NEED YOU HERE AND YOU DON'T WANT HER HERE, SO SHE NEEDS TO GO!"

Feelings of exasperation were beginning to set in as Dante exclaimed, "It's not just about you, Maxie! She-"

"HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!"

"AND HE'S MY PARTNER! LOOK AT ME! THIS ISN'T MY BLOOD ON MY SHIRT! IT'S HIS! Everyone here is here because we're concerned about our brother! We're a family at the PCPD and like it or not, Valerie is a part of that family! We're all waitin' to hear word about how he's doin'! You have people supportin' you! Well she's here because she cares about Nathan, and she's here supportin' me! We can go to the other side of the room if we need to but she's not leavin', because I want her here!"

All other conversations in the waiting area had ceased because of the raised voices so no one missed Dante's last words. Lulu cocked her head to the side as she looked at him and then slowly shook her head. She turned away and walked over to one of the windows, where she looked out blankly, not really seeing anything. Maxie watched her walk away before she glared angrily at Dante. "Just when I think you couldn't go any lower, you manage to surprise me, Dante! I hope you're happy!" She walked over to the window and leaned her head against Lulu's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. After glowering at Dante and emitting a disgusted huff, Dillon joined them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Into the silence, Valerie sighed and shook her head. "Oh, boy." Dante was still annoyed so his "Oh, boy, what?" came out a bit more harshly than he intended. "Well," she responded as she gazed around the room, "you kind of put some things on blast, didn't you?" "Meanin' what?" "There were rumors going around the department after Lulu went off on me at Jake's. I think most people have the impression now that the rumors were true, if the expressions on their faces are anything to go by. I'm not sure that's what you intended to do—confirm their suspicions." The remaining anger evaporating from him, Dante said ruefully, "I guess I did, didn't I? I'm sorry, Val. I wasn't thinkin'; I was only reactin'. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Damn."

"I'm not embarrassed, Dante. I just feel kind of bad. You didn't see Lulu's face. I think you shocked her." He abruptly sat down in one of the chairs as he watched Maxie and Dillon surround Lulu with comforting touches and hugs. He closed his eyes in frustration. Things do seem to go from bad to worse, he thought. Finally, he stood up and declared, "I need some air—I'm takin' a walk." "I'll wait for you here," she replied.

Dante found himself on the hospital roof. He was reaching for calmness but every time he thought of how he must have sounded to his fellow officers, he became agitated all over again. Valerie was right. The PCPD would be buzzing with this for the next who knew how long. He had been so angry with Maxie that he'd just blurted out his truth for everyone to hear. Maybe it was just as well. But he didn't really believe that.

A voice interrupted his musings. "That was interesting, Dante," Lulu said as she approached him. "I wonder—was that just you standing up for a co-worker, chivalry because she was getting yelled at in front of everyone, or was it something else?"

He exhaled and then turned to face her, responding, "So you think I shouldn't have said anything? Just let Maxie step all over Val's feelings for no other reason than because she felt like doin' it? Maxie shouldn't have told Val to leave. She didn't have the right-"

"I think she was trying to look out for me. She knew I wasn't comfortable having her here, so she tried to speak up for me. I'm surprised at you, though. Maxie is our friend and she's going through something pretty traumatic right now. I would have thought you'd have been a little more understanding. But then, you made it perfectly clear whose side you were on. The way you leapt to her defense! It was impressive—it really was."

"Look, Lulu-"

"No, no really. I was amazed by your ferocity. You standing up for your woman. Really something. A sight to behold."

"What do you want me to say? I'm not gonna apologize for havin' Val's back. I didn't think it was right what Maxie was tryin' to do, and-"

"And you weren't gonna stand for it. Yeah, you made that clear. Crystal clear. Tell me something, Dante. Did I ever really know you?"

"Yeah, you knew me. We knew each other very well. Until suddenly we didn't. You think I'm a bad guy for standin' up for Valerie. I'm ok with that. I think I did the right thing."

"No, I think you're a bad guy because you screwed her-"

"We're not goin' there, Lulu. There's no point. I'm stressed enough about my partner—I came up here to get a little peace. I'm not goin' for round three with you. If you need to be up here, I can go find a quiet corner somewhere else. I'm not gonna argue or fight with you—I really don't need the drama on top of everything else goin' on."

Letting out a short laugh, Lulu said, 'No, I'm sure you don't. I am sorry about Nathan. Believe it or not, I'm glad it wasn't you, though I wish it hadn't been him, either."

"Thanks. I wish I would have been there—maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"It wasn't your fault; no, you know what? I don't need to tell you that. You have someone else to tell you that now. Yeah. Placating your ego and making you feel better isn't my job anymore. You can have the roof; I'm going back to Maxie." She marched over to the roof access door and went through, slamming the door behind her. Ultimately realizing no peace could be found there, Dante left the roof shortly after Lulu. When he returned to the waiting area, Dr. Kamaal was talking quietly to Dr. Obrecht and Madeline Reeves about Nathan's latest prognosis. Valerie told him, "The doctor said he's gonna be ok, Dante. He came through the surgery with no complications and he's in recovery. It's such a relief!" He made his way to a chair and sat down; he rested his arms on his knees as he dropped his head in his hands. Sighing gustily he said softly, "I was so scared, Val. I was so scared. All that blood—I thought he was a goner for sure. I would have never forgiven myself if-"

"Hey, there's no need to go there. He's going to be fine. I'm just grateful he's going to be all right. That you're both going to be all right. The thought that it could have been you-"

"Yeah, I hear you. I'm not used to being on this side of things. I'm usually the one in the hospital bed. Can we see him?"

"Not right now. His—mothers?—were allowed to but the doctor said no other visitors until at least tomorrow. They're going to monitor him through the night and by tomorrow, he should be more alert and able to tell us what happened. I know that's what most of the guys were focused on—him being able to tell what happened. When they weren't talking about us."

"Ahh, Val, I can't apologize enough-"

"I was only teasing you. Don't worry about it. I'm not. But you know what? I think we should probably go. There's nothing more we can do tonight, anyway."

"Yeah, maybe we should. All of a sudden, I'm exhausted. It must be the adrenaline finally fading away. We can always come back later on and check on him. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you come home with me?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	19. Chapter 19

Ch. 19

As they rode up to the penthouse, Dante and Valerie were both silent, lost in their own private thoughts. Dante, for his part, was exhausted. The emotions of the day had worn him out and all he really wanted was to get horizontal on some flat surface and close his eyes. Valerie was feeling guilty because she was relieved that it hadn't been Dante hurt in that alley. She felt bad for Nathan, but she was glad Dante was safe.

Valerie unlocked the door and motioned for Dante to go inside. He walked to the middle of the living area where he stopped and turned to her. They stood there watching one another, Dante with a look of uncertainty on his face. "What's wrong?" Valerie finally asked him. "Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing here. I'm gonna say something and I'm hoping you won't take it the wrong way." "Ok. Say it." "I-" he paused, sighing. "We-" he tried again. Shaking his head, he gave up. "Dante, don't feel like you have to censor yourself, ok? You're trying to say something. Just say it." "Ok. I'm kind of tired. My brain is fried—it's been an insane day. I didn't come over here for sex. I hope I didn't offend you by saying that."

She looked at him with a faint smile on her face before she let out a little chuckle. "Yes," she said, "I'm horribly offended. How dare you say you don't want to have sex with me."

"I'm sorry," he quickly replied. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm only teasing you but you're too tired to get the humor. It's ok if you don't want sex. I didn't ask you to come home with me for that anyway."

"Why did you ask me to?"

"For this. Just this." She went to him and put her arms around him, gently pulling him into a tight hug. After a moment's hesitation, he reached for her and returned the embrace. They stood there swaying slightly back and forth. Valerie sighed softly and laid her head on Dante's shoulder. He exhaled quietly and leaned his head against hers. They stayed like that for a while, eyes closed, giving and receiving comfort from each other. Finally she murmured, "I feel so guilty."

"Why?"

"Because I'm so relieved it wasn't you. Because on the way to the hospital, that's all I could think of. That it could have been you in that alley. That was my first thought. Nathan was secondary, and that wasn't right since he's the one who was hurt. He could have died and all I could think was how glad I was that it wasn't you. I'm not even sure I have the right to feel relief, though."

"Do feelings have rights? You feel how you feel. It makes me feel good that you care. And I know you're happy that Nathan's alive and going to heal—you don't have to feel bad for being relieved. I guess I should feel bad for being so grateful when you showed up to GH. I was standing there feeling shaken and then someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see you there. And something in me steadied. Should I feel bad that having you there made me feel better?"

"No, I guess not. Ever since I got your message, I wanted to do this. Just hold you. Just be held by you. I wanted to tell you everything was going to be ok, but I also needed you to tell me the same thing. It's so weird…"

"What's weird?"

They released one another and moved to sit on the couch. "I see you guys every day. We laugh and joke and then you guys get a call and you roll out. I know what you do is dangerous but I don't think I've really thought about what it is you really do. The stuff you face every day. And now I wonder—why do you do it?"

"Why am I a cop?"

"Yeah. Why do you put yourself out there every day when something like what happened to Nathan could easily happen to you?"

Dante thought for a moment before replying, "I guess it has to do mostly with Lieutenant Poletti. I've mentioned him before, haven't I?" She nodded, "You talked about him the last time you were here."

"Yeah. He was a cop's cop. A real squared-away guy. He cared, you know? He was the kind of guy who looked after the kids in my neighborhood who didn't have fathers, like me. He offered advice and steered us in the right direction without being the usual adult drag. He was someone you could listen to because you knew he was only telling you something for your own good, because he cared. I admired him. As I got older, I wanted to be like him."

"So it's all Lieutenant Poletti's fault, huh?"

Dante laughed and nodded his head. "I guess so. All I know is I wanted to help people like he did. He was admired in the neighborhood. I liked that. There's a look people get when they need help and a cop like him shows up. I wanted that look for myself. At first it was just a thought, an idea. Nothing serious, just a little fantasy, that I'd become a cop."

"What changed it from fantasy to reality?"

"Sonny Corinthos. Lieutenant Poletti was gunned down in the street one day. Every one said Sonny Corinthos did it. An up and coming bad guy. Now Lieutenant Poletti was a good guy, kind-hearted, never had a bad thing to say about anyone. But I heard him one day when he saw Sonny's limo rolling down the street. He watched the car make its slow pass and he said, 'Scum' as he shook his head. I had never heard him talk about anybody like that. So I knew that Sonny must really be scum if Lieutenant Poletti called him that. And that scum had gunned down the best man I ever knew. Because he thought he could get away with it. And I promised myself that day that when I got old enough, I would be the one to make him pay for it."

"It's hard to believe we're talking about the same Sonny Corinthos."

"He's the same guy, all right, though he told me later he had nothing to do with Lieutenant Poletti's death. I worked hard, pushed myself. The academy, getting noticed, making rank. With only goal in mind—to position myself to take that scum down and avenge Lieutenant Poletti's death. I convinced my bosses in Brooklyn to let me go undercover. First with the Zaccharas, which eventually gave me an in with Sonny. And I played the part. I got my evidence, made my case, goal was in sight."

"That's what I don't understand. Jordan told me Sonny shot you. Your own father shot you in the chest. I don't understand why he's free, why you even talk to him—none of it makes sense."

"It's complicated. You told me when you met him you thought he was charming. He is. He has a way of drawing you in before you know it. I mean, I knew he killed my friend, the guy who was like my surrogate father. And yet he still managed to make me feel something for him. It's like he's two different people. There's the good kid from the neighborhood that you just want to be friends with. And then there's the ruthless criminal who does what he has to to get what he wants. You get sucked in with the first guy and then the second one drops the hammer. He got me because I was stupid enough to try to take him in without backup or a weapon. I was trying to take him down and he couldn't let that happen. So he shot me. My mother showed up right after that and that's when he found out I was his son. I didn't find out 'til later he was my father. I had built a solid case against him, I thought, solid enough that I could use that, and not him shooting me, to put him away. But of course, it turned out that he hadn't killed his wife and I'd already lied under oath that I had shot myself. So I let him get away."

"So how do you still have anything to do with him? How do you ask him to let me stay here? I would think you would hate him so much that you couldn't stand to be near him."

"Like I said, it's complicated. I like him. And I don't like him. I hate what he does for a living. I hate what he does in the name of business and the way he hurts people who get in his way. Ever since he found out he was my father, though, he's gone out of his way to try to get close to me, to make up for the years we lost as father and son. And he can be charming, generous, and even kind. I'm slowly coming to accept that. But I never forget the other guy who's waiting just under the surface. So that's how we co-exist. I can't afford to surrender and become Sonny's kid—I'm a cop, and he's a bad guy. It's push/pull, back and forth, all the way."

"I don't know whose family is more dysfunctional, mine or yours."

"Pretty sad, isn't it?" He yawned suddenly and stretched his arms over his head.

"I was planning to have a light snack before I went to bed. You want something?" Valerie stood up and pointed to the kitchen.

"I could eat as long as you don't have to cook anything." They went to the kitchen together and finally decided on ham and sharp cheddar cheese sandwiches, apple slices and green grapes. Valerie poured two glasses of milk to round out the snack and then placed the plates on a breakfast tray. Dante carried the tray and Val carried the milk up to her bedroom. There was a small table and chair set in the master bedroom and they sat down to eat. Dante looked around the room as he munched away. "I didn't really pay any attention the last time I was in here. It's almost like a mini apartment, the way it's laid out."

"Your father has excellent taste. I think this is my favorite room in the house. Somehow even though the room is huge, it still manages to feel cozy when I'm in here. I crawl in the bed under the covers and I just feel safe. It's hard to explain. Everything feels so soft, so lush and when I'm surrounded by it all, the blankets, the pillows, I feel comforted, like I'm being held in big, gentle arms. That's what I wanted you to feel tonight. I didn't want to be alone after a day like today and I didn't want you to be alone, either."

They finished their snack and Dante said, "So you mean for me to stay here? With you? All night?"

"You don't like the idea?"

"Just being together, holding each other. No sex?"

"Don't think you can handle it?" He thought for a moment about actually lying in her bed with her in his arms without anything sexual passing between them. He wasn't sure he could do it. She was standing there, though, with this look of challenge on her face. He was game if she was. What was the worst that could happen?

"Yeah, I can handle it if you can. I don't know if you can, though. For starters, I didn't bring any pajamas or anything with me. But I'm kind of a commando guy, anyway. You can deal with that, right?" Valerie closed her eyes as she thought of what he was really saying. Dante. Naked. In her bed. The image made her shiver before she could quell the motion and he saw it. "Are you cold?" he asked, knowing very well that wasn't the reason for her slight agitation.

"No, I'm not cold. Just thinking. I suppose I could wear a t-shirt and shorts instead of my usual night wear, to spare your delicate sensibilities." He laughed aloud as he shook his head, saying, "Don't do anything different or special on my account. Be comfortable. I want to wash up before bed. Can I use the bathroom I used last time?"

"Sure. Everything is still there, including the toothbrush. Go for it." After he left the room, she put her hands over her face and exhaled. It had been an impulse to invite him over, and the reasons she gave him were honest ones but now that he was here, she was nervous. She didn't plan to lose in the battle of wills, though. She could lie in the same bed with him. While he was naked. Without wanting or trying anything with him. Of course she could. She had gone out and bought new lingerie after that dream she'd had about him. Let's see how he likes being teased, she thought as she walked into her own bathroom to get washed up.

When she came out of the bathroom, Dante was sitting on the edge of the bed in a robe. He gestured at it and said, "This must be one of Sonny's guest robes. It was in the closet in there, and it covered me, so I thought I would borrow it."

"No problem—mi casa es su casa." She was also wearing a robe and she was having an inward battle as she walked over to the dresser and lightly ran her hands along the smooth wood. With what she had on underneath her robe, throwing it off would be like making some kind of declaration. On the dresser she had a candle set—various white candles of all sizes and shapes set in a shallow tray. She picked up a long reach lighter and began lighting each candle. Dante watched in silence before muttering, "Candles, huh? Ok." under his breath.

"You say something?" she asked.

"No, I didn't. Are you really gonna light candles, though? And then go to bed?"

"I do it all the time. They're drip-less candles—perfectly safe. As long as there's no breeze directly on them, there won't be a problem. It's too hot for a fire, but I like the illusion it creates. Kind of romantic. Not that we're here for romance tonight. I'm just saying it sets a mood. For whatever." In one motion, she untied her robe, shrugged out of it, and threw it on an easy chair in the corner of the room.

Dante was smirking inwardly as he watched Val. She thought she was gonna get him all messed up with the sleeping in the same bed and the candles and stuff. Huh. He had a will of iron. She'd break before he—in the middle of his musings, she took off her robe and threw it on the chair in the corner of the room. His eyes widened and involuntarily he uttered, "Good God. Whoa, girl. Damn." There was NO WAY she slept in that every night. Aloud, he stuttered, "What—what—what are you… What is that? There's no way you sleep in that every night!"

Valerie stood there looking innocently at him in her white lace baby doll. "Why not? Ever since I had that dream, I've been wearing stuff like this to bed. It makes me feel-" Sexy, she thought to herself. It was all see-through lace, leaving nothing to the imagination and before he could stop himself, he gestured with his finger in a swirling motion, telling her without speaking to turn fully around. Deciding to go for it and be brazen, she gave him a little haughty pout before she raised her arms slightly at her sides and slowly pivoted on the balls of her feet.

They both spoke at the same time, she jokingly, he totally serious. "It is a pretty little thing, isn't it?" "You have a beautiful body." Oh, she thought, he's not joking around anymore. As long as they were keeping things light, she felt confident and playful, but now that he was sitting there unsmiling and, oh, obviously aroused, she was no longer sure of her footing. Val ran her hand over her head in sudden uneasiness at the lack of expression on his face.

"Are you actually saying," he finally asked her soberly, "that you intend to get into bed with me wearing that? And you don't expect me to touch you?" Immediately her boldness came back in a rush as she replied, "I intend it, and I expect it. What's the matter? You don't have confidence in your abilities?"

"My confidence and my abilities are legendary. Now I told you, I'm commando under this robe. How confident are you in YOUR abilities to resist me?" "Oh," she said as she stretched her arms over her head, "I'm so tired, Dante. My only intention tonight is to sleep. I think I'll be able to resist your charms, no matter how potent they are." She went over to her iPod and touched a button. Soft jazz suddenly streamed through the room. One by one, she went through the bedroom turning off all the lights until the only light in the room was from the candles. She smoothed back the bed covers and slid in before giving him a sultry gaze. "Aren't you getting in? I thought you said earlier you were exhausted," she teased. Patting the mattress she added, "Go ahead, and climb in."

Dante stood there momentarily unsure before making a decision. Running from the room, he said, "I'll be right back." Not the smoothest of moves, he realized, but he knew himself. He dashed to the bathroom from which he retrieved a clean face towel. He also grabbed his wallet. That had the condoms in it. Just in case.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He returned to the bedroom and walked to the end of the bed. Slowly, as he looked at her, he untied the sash on the bathrobe. He did an impromptu strip tease as he shrugged lightly enough for one shoulder to appear, causing her to laugh at his silliness. He kept going. Both shoulders were on display now. "Take it off, take it off," she taunted him playfully. Brashly he complied, dropping the robe with a flourish on the edge of the bed. Dante paused for a moment, giving her a chance to admire his physique, which she unashamedly did. "Who's talking about having a beautiful body," she whispered as he finally climbed in under the bed covers.

"We're really doing this," she said matter-of-factly as he extended his arm, inviting her to move closer to him. She moved closer and snuggled against him as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Looks like," he replied, gazing down at her while she settled herself into a comfortable position. Dante stared at her for what felt like forever before she tilted her face up toward his and slowly opened her eyes to return his stare. He leaned down and softly kissed her lips, once, twice. He teased her lips apart with his own with light, glancing touches. Unhurriedly, lazily, their tongues dueled together, and he pulled her even closer to his body as he deepened the kiss. Languidly, their lips met over and over, gradually at first, but then with increasing, quickening force. Tangling his fingers in her hair to hold her still, he drew her bottom lip in between his teeth and gently bit down before releasing it to return to kissing her softly once more. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and she felt herself flooding. She uttered a low cry before she could stop it. "Dante-"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," he whispered with an answering groan of his own. "That was only supposed to be a kiss goodnight. I'm sorry. That wasn't fair of me at all." She whimpered into his chest as she sighed aloud. She was wet, he was dripping, but this wasn't supposed to be about sex, just comfort. "What do you want me to do?" he asked hoarsely. "Just hold me. God. Just hold me, ok?" He pulled her in even tighter and kissed her forehead, his hand still tangled in her hair. "Man," he thought to himself, "if they weren't careful, by the time they actually did do it, they were gonna set more than candles on fire." He sighed and closed his eyes as he willed himself to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	20. Chapter 20

Ch. 20

Slowly returning to awareness after a good night's sleep, Valerie awoke with a smile on her face. She was surrounded by warmth as she lay there with her head on Dante's arm. His other arm was snugly holding her against him and the heat of his body was radiating through the scanty lace she was wearing. Something else was resting snugly against her bottom, which made her smile wider. She wondered what it would be like to wake like this every morning, knowing a human furnace had been holding her securely through the night. She stretched a bit, arching her back, which brought her into further contact with his erection as it brushed her backside.

Dante involuntarily pulled Val in closer when he felt her moving, stroking himself against the lace panties of her baby doll teddy with a smile of his own. He sighed a little before reaching down with his hand to move her hair off of her neck. Lightly brushing a kiss there, he huskily whispered, "Hey, good morning." "Good morning yourself," she replied. He went on, "Mmm. This feels good, doesn't it?" "It does feel good. Something else, too. It seems-" They spoke at the same time—"Natural." "Right." "Yes," she added, "It does feel right. Isn't that strange, that waking up like this should seem so normal?" "I don't know," he answered. He thought about her question for a moment before saying, "I think maybe it's because it's comfortable. We were both looking for some comfort last night and together we found it. Being here with you is easy and I feel-"

"Content."

"Yeah, I guess that's a good way to explain it. Content. I just feel good. What about you? How do you feel right now?"

"Happy. Content. Scared."

"Scared? Why scared?"

"Maybe because it's too good. My feelings are all jumbled up. Technically, I don't know if I have the right to be so happy to wake up in your arms. You're still married-"

"That's a technicality, too."

"I know. But when we were together before, it was an impulse we had because we thought Lulu and Dillon had cheated first. Now we know the truth, and it does kind of make a difference to me. I mean, I could make love to you right now-"

"Be careful," he said as he prodded her from behind, "because I wouldn't exactly say 'no'".

"But what does that say about us? We did what we did before because of wrong information. If we're together now, before everything is finalized between you and Lulu—I don't know what that says about us. About me. Now that the whole department, for instance, knows about us—I don't know. I'm all mixed up. We went and took care of the birth control issue and now I'm saying-"

Dante released her and sat up in the bed, pushing his pillows behind his back for support. "What are you actually saying? You want to give up whatever this is developing between us?"

She rolled over to face him, propping herself up on her fist as she said, "No, that's not what I mean. Right or wrong, I don't consider myself a home-wrecker because of the way we got together the first time. If it had been intentional cheating, if we hadn't thought they had already cheated first, that would be one thing, but that's not the way it happened with us. But now, if I just bulldoze ahead-" She exhaled in frustration. She didn't think she was explaining her position adequately and she didn't want him to get the wrong idea…

"If I'm getting what you're saying, you think it would be more like an affair if we have sex now, is that it?"

"Kind of, yeah. Is that totally awful or offensive? I want you, Dante. Don't doubt that at all. But I'm wondering—can we wait? Can we at least try? It might be hypocritical because of what we've already done, but if we could, I'd really like to try to hold off until-"

"Until everything is finalized between me and Lulu."

"Yeah." He smiled down at her before leaning forward and kissing her lightly on her nose. "Let me tell you something," he responded with a smile, "I don't think we'll be able to hold out that long. There's just too much heat between us. But if you want to, if you don't mind being frustrated twenty-four/seven-"

"Wow, twenty-four/seven? Because you're all I ever think about, I suppose-"

"—then we'll do it your way. Fair warning, though. If you ever give me the 'go ahead nod,' I'm going for it—I won't be stopping myself next time."

"What do you mean, next time? Every time we've stopped, it's been because of me, not you!"

"I seem to remember telling you to stop me that first time. If you hadn't listened, we'd have done it then." Thinking back, she realized he was right. Nodding her head, she said, "Ok, you got that one, but the other times was me. Either way, we might have a challenge ahead but I still want to try."

"Does that mean no nights like last night and no mornings like this?"

"That's the problem. I'm not willing to go that far because I liked waking up in your arms. I don't know if you could handle all that contact without you know," she gestured toward his crotch.

"Like I'm some beast who can't control my passions? I told you, my self-control is legendary. Usually. As far as this goes"—he pointed to his now subsiding erection—"that's gonna be there as long as you're around, especially if you're gonna be prancing around in that kind of stuff," he added, referring to her lace teddy.

"So it seems that we're striking a deal, here. Maybe we should set some ground rules…"

"Rules? No rules! C'mon! Can't we just wing it-"

"We have to have some boundaries, don't we? For example, should kissing be allowed?"

"Definitely. Although, whenever I kiss you, I end up wanting to take you up against a wall-" She covered her face and her stomach clenched at the image his words evoked.

"None of that," she exclaimed, shaking her finger at him, "No suggestive, salacious language—it's not fair."

"Hmm. I don't know if I plan to play fair."

"What do you mean?"

"This is your idea so I'll go along so far, but I plan to throw all the hardware at you. Might be fun, seeing how long you resist."

"Don't do that, Dante. I'm not gonna lie, I won't last long. I really wanna try to wait but if you're sabotaging me from the beginning, I might as well concede now."

"Ok. No hardware. The kissing, the suggestive language—that stays on the table, though. What about touching?"

Val moved to a cross-legged position as she sat up, shaking her head. "Maybe this is gonna be too hard after all…"

"No, we'll try it. It's important to you, so we'll try to hold out. It'll make when we finally do make love that much more explosive. I'm looking forward to stoking that fire, taking care of all that heat." He wiggled his eyebrows at her which caused her to groan aloud.

"You're terrible, you know that?"

"I do what I can. Not to interrupt this negotiation, because I really am having some fun with it but we need to get ready for work, which means I need to go home and change first."

Valerie had been enjoying this morning so much that she let the time get away from her and she looked at the clock on the wall in surprised alarm before launching up off the bed and dashing into the closet. "Oh, crap! I wasn't even watching the time—if we don't hurry, we'll end up being late! Not to mention that since we're together, we'll end up getting there at the same time!" Hurriedly she looked through the racks for something appropriate to wear to work.

"Don't worry. After I change, I'm going to the hospital to see Nathan. Once I've checked on him, I'll head into the station. You'll have been there for a while by then—no one will even notice. This having to run home is for the birds, though. Next time I come over, I'm definitely bringing an overnight bag."

"Or you can just bring some stuff to leave here."

"Yeah," he said, smiling at her, "I guess I can do that, too." He watched her as she stood in the closet scanning her choices. She has no idea the kind of picture she's making, standing there in that lace thing, he thought. Keeping his hands to himself was going to be harder than either of them knew. Still, for her sake, he was willing to make the effort.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Peeking his head around the corner of the door to Nathan's hospital room, Dante stared at his partner as he looked for signs of movement. He didn't want to disturb Nathan, but the nurse at the desk told him he was awake and alert and he wanted to check for himself. Nathan saw him and gestured for him to come in. He was a little worse for wear, but he was alert and awake. Alive. The relief Dante felt as he fully entered the room was tremendous. "If you weren't on your sick bed, I'd beat you unconscious! What the hell were you thinking, goin' to the mill by yourself?"

Nathan grunted and laughed shortly while repositioning himself in his bed. "It's good to see you too, partner."

"Yeah. Sorry. How are you doin'? What are the doctors sayin'?"

"They think I'm going to make a full recovery. There might be some residual weakness or shortness of breath issues at first—you know all about that—but eventually, they expect me to be back to my normal self. It's a good thing I'm such a healthy specimen and that I take such good care of my assets," he said, gesturing with his hand up and down his body.

"You're a sad case, West, that's all I know. When are they sayin' you can return to duty?"

"Oh man, I'm gonna have to ride a desk for a few weeks, according to the Commish. 'You're not returning to duty until I'm satisfied you're fully recovered, whether you think you're ready or not'. That's the word from on high."

"When are they springin' you?

"Doc says maybe in a week or so, depending on my continued recovery rate. So far there have been no complications—I guess they just want to make sure the lung re-expands and stays that way. That's why I've got to still have this"—he pointed to the nasal cannula that was helping him breathe.

"That's good to hear, man. I don't wanna make you talk too much or tire you out, but what happened? Did you see who did it? Was it Robbs, d'you think?"

"I don't think so. I'm not exactly sure. I was looking in one of the windows in the back of the mill. I didn't even hear anyone behind me. One second he wasn't there, the next, I got zapped with something sharp and he was pushing me to the ground. From what I could see while he was running away, he looked tall and skinny, which doesn't match Robbs' description at all. He was wearing all black, even in this heat. Probably disturbed some junkie who had nothing to do with Robbs' operation at all; otherwise, why not kill me while I was down?"

"Just be glad he didn't, man. I'm sorry I missed your calls. I was in the basement looking up some old case files, and I didn't get your messages in time."

"You came when you got them—that's all that matters. Thanks, dude. You saved my life. I won't be forgetting that."

"Oh, I'll make you pay me back somehow!" They laughed together until Nathan began to wheeze as he tried to catch his breath. Maxie chose that moment to enter the room and she flew to Nathan's side in concern. "Sweetie, are you ok? You shouldn't be laughing. I hope you're not tiring him out, Dante," she added, throwing a sideways glance at him.

"I just wanted to check on my partner, Maxie. I didn't mean to make him laugh or tire him out. I'm not stayin' long anyway, now that I know he's all right."

"I suppose I should thank you for saving his life—I don't think I did that yesterday."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad I was there."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you. I can be grateful to you and mad at the same time. You really messed up yesterday, big time-"

Nathan and Dante spoke simultaneously. "What's this, then?" "Maxie, do we have to go there-" He added to answer Nathan's question, "Maxie and I had a difference of opinion yesterday, that's all."

Maxie was annoyed at his attempt to downplay the situation and she said huffily, "It was more than that, Nathan! He was practically showing off Valerie as his new girlfriend in front of everyone, including Lulu!"

"That's not what happened, Maxie," he protested. "You were tryin' to make her feel bad for even bein' there and you tried to make her leave. I didn't think you should have done that, which is why I defended her. I wasn't showin' her off to anybody!"

"That's not the impression I got! That's not the impression anyone standing there got, including Lulu! She was really hurt, you know! It's bad enough you slept with her, but you had to make some kind of declaration right in front of everyone like Lulu wasn't even there!"

Nathan, seeing Maxie getting more and more animated, tried to divert her attention by coughing suddenly. "I think my pain meds are wearing off, babe. Could you go find a nurse or something?" "Of course," she crooned. She glared at Dante. "HE should probably leave, though. He's making you tired and you need your rest." She flounced out of the room and Dante and Nathan shared a look.

"What's this about?"

"Nothin' major. Just half of the department gettin' their suspicions confirmed about Val and me because of an argument between me and Maxie. That's all."

"Dude, that's not little-"

"I know. And Val's been dealin' with it all mornin' while I've been here with you. I guess I should go face the music with her. Ugh," he said as a thought crossed his mind.

"What's up?"

"Johnson. He's gonna eat this up with a spoon. Harassment factor ten."

"Well you should have known this was coming. Go take your medicine like a good boy."

"Oh, shut up. I'll catch you later."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	21. Chapter 21

Ch. 21

While Dante was across town checking on Nathan at General Hospital, Valerie was pausing outside the PCPD. For a moment she stood there as she deliberated within herself how she should handle any comments that came her way as a result of Dante's and Maxie's argument. The way she saw it, she had four choices. She could argue and defend herself against any negativity, she could laugh it off, or she could ignore the remarks and/or criticisms. Or she could employ a combination of all three, depending on who it was who approached her. She would wing it. Finally making a decision, she took a deep breath and then climbed the PCPD steps.

A couple of her co-workers nodded "Good Morning" to her once she reached her desk, which she returned with a nod of her own. So far, so good. Maybe what she had been anticipating was worse than the reality of the situation. She knew that several in the station enjoyed a good gossip but maybe somehow, she'd been given a break. Exhaling in relief, she turned on her computer and after it booted up she began searching through her day planner for her tasks of the day. Val was engrossed in her work so deeply that at first she didn't realize Randy Hill was standing by her desk waiting to be noticed. "Hey, Randy," she said when she eventually saw him, "how's it going?" "Pretty good. How's it going for you?" "Not bad so far—I've got a light schedule today, thankfully. The project I'm working on in the old records' room is consuming so much of my time so I foresee spending most of my day in the basement." The conversation lagged briefly and then Randy began nodding his head as he stated, "So. Falconeri, huh?" She closed her eyes for a second before sighing and giving him her full attention, responding, "Randy-" "No, it's ok. I just remember you telling me you already had someone in your heart. I figured it might be Falconeri after I heard about what happened between you and Lulu in Jake's. I still thought maybe I had a shot until yesterday. I don't get it, though."

"What do you mean?"

"The guy is married. I've never seen anyone more in love than him and Lulu. They're supposed to be getting divorced but I think they'll make up before that happens. They usually do. Why get involved with something like that?"

"Ok. In the nicest way possible, I'm going to tell you that most of what you're talking about isn't really your concern. What I will say is I have no control over whether or not they divorce but I know his intent currently. If it changes, it changes. More than that, I don't really want to talk about. You're becoming a friend, Randy, and I don't want that to change. I need this subject to be off-limits between us, ok, at least for now."

"I wasn't trying to pry so if I came across the wrong way, I apologize. I don't want to see you wasting your time on a losing proposition, that's all."

"I appreciate your concern, I really do. I don't plan to lose out, but if I do-"

"If you do, just know that I have two broad shoulders you can use to cry on. Oh, and don't forget all this," he said, drawing an imaginary circle around his chest, "that's available, too." She covered her face as they laughed together.

"Thanks, Randy. I mean that. For the laugh, and for the offer of your body." She got up to check the copier for a report she had printed up and Randy stared after her, murmuring, "It wouldn't be a sacrifice at all if it made you take me seriously."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Dante arrived at the station, he covertly gazed around the squad room for Valerie. Not seeing her, he thought she was probably doing work in the basement and he headed in that direction. After his conversation with Nathan, he had been worried about her and was hoping she wasn't being harassed or razzed about yesterday's events at the hospital. He was rounding the corner near the basement stairs when Jordan, coming from the opposite direction, stopped him, saying, "Where you headed, Falconeri?" Dante hesitated for a minute as he tried to formulate a plausible answer. Somehow, he didn't think his boss would appreciate hearing that he was going to check on Valerie. "I was headed to the basement, boss. Something down there in the records' room that I saw yesterday that I wanted to go back over." Jordan regarded him with a little smirk on her face as she countered, "Something, or someone? Do I look gullible to you?"

"Not a bit, boss."

"Good. Well you've got time before you need to check on 'whatever it is' in the records' room, plus we can't hold Joey Robbs much longer so you need to go deal with him. You've got bigger concerns than what's in the records' room. Walk with me." She turned and walked up the hall toward her office. His head dropped momentarily and he winced. Damn, he thought.

Once they were in her office, Jordan gestured toward the seat across from her desk as she sat down behind it. She cocked her head to the side and he could tell she was trying to find the right words to address the issue.

"Boss," he began, but she halted him with an upraised hand. "Listen," she finally said, "far be it from me to interfere in the private affairs of my officers or my staff. Normally, I wouldn't bother. Valerie is a friend of mine—she's become special to me. I feel like I need to look out for her interests, here."

"She's special to me, too-"

"Yeah, and that's only part of the problem. Seeking her out the way you're doing is only going to increase the gossip around here. If you really care, you need to keep it professional when you're at work. Office romances are rarely a good idea, Dante. Add the complication of you being a married, soon-to-be-divorced man, and the potential for negative fallout rises-"

"Which is why I'm trying to be careful, Commish. I don't intend for-"

"Intentions count for crap in situations like this. Let me drop some wisdom on you. Whenever these situations go off-line, it's usually the woman who pays. Who has to hear the snide comments and snickers and downright rudeness to her face and behind her back. For some reason, the guy involved almost always gets away unscathed. If you start this thing with Val and it goes wrong, it won't be you who has to deal with the fallout. That's not even touching the potential fraternization issue…"

Against his better judgement, Dante was becoming annoyed and his tone reflected his changing mood as he responded, "First of all, Jordan, Val and I don't even know what we are to each other. We're tryin' to find that out. But it's really no one's business but ours. I can appreciate your friendship with her promptin' you to speak on her behalf, but you don't need to, ok? I think we're both adult enough to handle whatever 'this' is without outside interference. I'm also not sure I appreciate the inference that I'm gonna hurt her. Like it's a given or somethin'. Maybe she's gonna hurt me—ever thought of that? Or who knows? Maybe nobody's gonna get hurt here. And there's no 'fraternization issue' in play. I can't affect her job in that way, only you can. There's no promotions or anything else I could give her in exchange for her bein' with me. I'm not her boss so we're on an equal playin' field as far as that goes. I'm startin' to get insulted that we're even havin' this conversation."

"I'm not exactly enjoying myself either but I feel like I need to look out for her because her nose is wide open with this thing. I don't think she's thinking rationally and someone ought to be. What happens if none of this works out? Can you both work here without drama or is she going to be expected to find another job somewhere else?"

"We're both adults, so yeah, I think we could work together if whatever this is doesn't work out. However it goes, it's ours to deal with and we'll handle it. Now was there anything else, because-"

"Fine. But before you go, last warning. Speaking as your boss, don't let this little romance disrupt my house. Speaking as her friend, you hurt her and I'll break your back, and not in the good way—you tracking me?"

"I'm trackin' you, boss."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante was pensive as he returned to his desk. Did everyone think he was going to hurt Valerie, intentionally or unintentionally, he wondered? He felt strange as he looked around the squad room. He had always thought he had a good reputation among his fellow officers but now he felt as though they were seeing him as a bit of a cad, a bad guy. This situation with Lulu wasn't helping matters, he thought, but that was a special case and he still didn't feel like the demise of their marriage was his fault alone. Just because they were breaking up didn't mean he couldn't be trusted to treat a woman well. Why was he suddenly feeling like his brothers thought he was some kind of scoundrel or something? Maybe he was being paranoid, over-sensitive. Still, the notion that he was a scumbag who made a habit of screwing women over left a bad taste in his mouth, as well as angering him. "Fine," he thought to himself, "Since I'm pissed anyway, I might as well go release some hostility in the interrogation room."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Joey Robbs. Lower South Side scumbag extraordinaire. Sorry to have kept you waiting. No, that was a lie—I don't give a damn that you've been locked up all night. Know why you're here?"

Robbs rocked back in his chair as he gave Dante a disgusted sneer. "Probally 'cause you cops can't get enough of my pretty face. You gotta make up reasons to see me."

"Yeah, that's gotta be it—'cause you're so damn beautiful. Whadda you think? You think the guys in Pentonville are gonna find you as beautiful as we do? "Cause beauty has a whole different meanin' up there. I can see you gettin' all kinds of attention."

"Whadda you talkin' about, Pentonville? I ain't done nothin'—you got nothin' on me."

"I don't know—the attempted murder of a cop? Sounds like somethin' to me."

"What, that thing with West? You tryna pin that on me?"

"What? You tryna say you didn't do it?"

Robbs grunted out a laugh and then sat back in his chair with an insolent slouch. "Look, man, that ain't the way I do things. I want someone done, I call a guy who calls a guy. I don't go around stabbin' nosy cops in the back, whether they deserve it or not."

Dante slowly leaned forward in his chair as he put his chin on his folded fingers. In a low voice he asked, "Are you sayin' my partner deserved to get stabbed in the back?"

"I'm sayin' your partner's been goin' all over town nosin' his way into my business. Bad stuff happens on the streets sometimes."

"Bad stuff happens in lock up, too. I'll let you cogitate on that for a while."

"Cogi-what?"

"Cogitate. Think. Ponder. If your brain is capable, that is. Let's talk about the robbery that occurred about two weeks ago Monday the 27th. Can you account for your whereabouts around midnight, one A.M. on the night in question?"

"No I can't 'count for my whereabouts on that night or any other night. And I'm done talkin'. If you're gonna hold me, I want my lawyer."

"Of course you do. Actually, I was wonderin' why you were bein' so talkative in the first place but then no one ever accused you of bein' a brainiac."

His ego pricked, Robbs couldn't resist one last shot as he laughed, "Smart enough to stay one step ahead of you cops."

"Nothin' lasts forever, Robbs. Keep on runnin' and eventually your fat ass is gonna trip and fall and when you do, it'll be me standin' over you with the cuffs, draggin' your ass to Pentonville. Let's see if you're smart enough to stay one step ahead of some guy named Bubba who wants to be your tush cushion."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Experiencing a deep frustration as he left the station that night, Dante felt that the whole day had been a wasted one. They'd found Robbs, true, but they could get nothing from him. He didn't believe, after having questioned him that Robbs was behind Nathan's stabbing anyway. Like he'd said, he knew guys who knew guys. No way would he get his own hands dirty. Plus, at his core, he was a thief, not a killer. He sighed as he wondered who had a motive for stabbing his partner. Nathan was probably right—no doubt it was some junkie intent on escaping what he in his loaded state thought was his capture. The longer the investigation dragged on, though, the harder it would be to find the perp. He really wanted to bring the culprit to justice for Nathan's sake.

Then there was the conversation he'd had with Jordan. That still rankled. He hated feeling like the whole station was weighing in on his and Val's business. That's the way it usually was in a cop shack but he didn't have to like it. After his discussion with his boss, he hadn't felt comfortable approaching Val at work so he hadn't seen her all day. He wanted to see her, to make sure she was ok. "Screw it," he finally decided, "I stayed away from her all day. That's enough." Having made the decision, he reached for his cell phone and made the call.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie looked down at her phone with a sense of relief. She hadn't seen Dante all day and she thought maybe he was avoiding her because of the workplace chatter. She answered the phone with more animation than she had meant to, exclaiming, "Dante! About time you called! I haven't seen you all day!" She quickly backpedaled when she realized how she must have sounded, adding, "Not that you owe me a phone call or anything. It's just that I thought you were avoiding me-"

"I need to see you. What are you doing right now?"

"I was thinking of ordering some take out and chilling on the couch. Did you want to come by?"

"Yeah. I've got to make a stop first, and then I'll head over, ok?"

"No problem." They disconnected and she sat back on the couch with a thoughtful look. She thought he sounded frazzled and she wondered what was wrong. She hoped after facing his fellow officers he wasn't having second thoughts about—she cut off the thought. Like she told Randy earlier, she couldn't control what Dante did. If he was having second thoughts, he was having them. There was no point in trying to anticipate what he had to say. She would find out soon enough.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After answering the doorbell, Valerie opened the door to Dante, who was carrying two Wegman's supermarket shopping bags. She frowned as she pointed to the bags and said, "Did you go grocery shopping? I thought we were having take out…" He walked into the penthouse while explaining, "This isn't food. I didn't want to be obvious by bringing an overnight bag but this is the stuff I planned on leaving over here. Like I told you this morning, I'm tired of having to run home and change before I can go in to work. Now I won't have to." She smiled in pleasure, replying, "Oh, ok. Good. I'm glad you remembered." He sat the bags down on the carpet and then turned to her with a faint smile of his own. He admitted, "I've had a hellish day one way and another and I thought if I could just get one of your hugs, somehow that might save the rest of the night for me." He held his arms out to her and she nonchalantly sauntered over to him, tilting her head to the side as she slyly remarked, "Wow. You came all this way just to get one of my hugs? I'm honored." "Well, to get one of your hugs, and-" He drew her into his embrace, lightly brushing her lips with his own while hugging her tighter. She put one arm around his waist, her other hand reaching up to hold his head still as she skimmed her fingers through his hair. She nipped playfully at his lips and he responded by using his tongue to more fully open her mouth. He groaned a little in his throat and then slowed the kiss down by degrees until they were barely moving as their lips and tongues met over and over. Minutes went by before he, after pressing two soft kisses on her now swollen lips, finally released her. Their eyes were closed as they rested their heads against each other. She whispered quietly, "That was worth waiting the whole day for." "Yeah," he murmured back, "It totally was. I really needed that; I didn't even know how much until just now."

They decided on Fat Bob's Smokehouse because they wanted some comfort food, and Fat Bob's was the best barbecue in town. While waiting for the delivery to arrive, Dante told Val about his frustrating encounter with Joey Robbs. He felt her annoyance when he recounted to her his conversation with Jordan. Val told Dante about her chat with Randy Hill and about how a couple of the admin aides seemed to be regarding her as some kind of man trap now. One of the girls actually appeared to be jealous of her. She couldn't wait until something else happened in the department that would become the next scandalous topic, she told him, sighing aloud.

Dante reached out and gently stroked her cheek as he huskily said, "I'm so sorry you're going through this. If I'd been more careful in front of everyone-"

"You know what, Dante," she replied, coming to a sudden decision, "I'm not going to care anymore. Do you want to be with me?" "Yeah, I do," he told her with a chuckle. "And I want to be with you. That's all that matters. Let people think and say whatever they want to—they're going to, anyway. You know what else?" She asked, her voice getting stronger with indignant conviction. "What?" "I'm gonna stop feeling guilty about all this and just enjoy being with you. There's no changing what happened and truthfully-"

"Truthfully?"

"I regret hurting my cousin. I wish that part of it hadn't happened. A month ago, I would have wished I could take it all back."

"And now?" He queried, genuinely wanting to know how she felt.

"Now I'm here with you, and I'm glad. I'm not gonna think beyond that." Dante was going to respond to that but the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of their dinner. He thought over what she had said as they sat together at the dining table, eating their meal. He hated the fact that he had hurt Lulu. That part he wished he could take back. But sitting here with this woman, laughing and sharing and just **being** —right now, if he was honest, he couldn't say that he would change anything else.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	22. Chapter 22

Ch. 22

Suddenly going from peaceful slumber to total awareness, Valerie fully awoke when she realized she was alone in the room. Wondering if Dante had already left for work, she looked around for a note or some indication that he wasn't in the house. She got out of bed and reached for her robe, intending to go downstairs and investigate. A heavenly scent invaded her senses as soon as she opened the bedroom door. It seemed as though Dante was still in the house. And he was, from what she could smell, cooking breakfast. She couldn't stop a happy grin from appearing on her face; she closed the door and went to her bathroom to take a shower and prepare for the day.

Finally descending the staircase, Val followed her nose into the kitchen, where Dante was putting away the dishes he had used to make breakfast after washing them. She paused for a moment and then, deciding to be bold and brave, she approached him and slid her arms around his waist before brushing a light kiss on the side of his neck. He looked over his shoulder and with an answering smile said, "Hey, good morning, Angel—it's about time you got up." Her heartbeat accelerated as she thought, "Angel? Wow." Aloud she said, "Why didn't you wake me up when you got up? I can't believe I didn't hear you leave the room; I'm usually such a light sleeper." "You were way gone when I got up and I didn't have the heart to wake you. You should have seen yourself lying there with this peaceful, angelic look on your face. The way your hair was fanned out all over the pillow. When I saw you, 'what an Angel' was my first thought. My second thought was to wake you in a way that wasn't so angelic, but I didn't want to start anything that went against our new rules. So I restrained myself and walked away. I'm so proud of me."

"You would be," she said, rolling her eyes at him and shaking her head. She pointed at the stove. "What are you making down here? It smells delicious."

"You aren't the only one who makes a mean frittata. This is a tre formaggi frittata, a recipe handed down in my family. My Nonna used to make this on Saturday mornings for me and my cousins. This would set us up for a good part of the day, with energy to spare. I haven't made it in a long time so I thought I'd better give myself extra time to prepare it, but once I started, it all came rushing back. If you would pour the orange juice, I'll plate this up." Val reached inside the glass cabinet and retrieved two glasses into which she poured the juice and then followed him over to the small table in the kitchen. He gestured for her to sit down and then put a plate down in front of her. "I can't wait to hear what you think of it," he remarked as he sat opposite her, adding, "Go ahead, take a bite." After tasting a sample, she smiled and told him, "This is great! Your Nonna taught you right—good job. I think if I ate like this every Saturday, though, I'd be roly-poly in no time. It's very filling." She continued eating and he joined her, digging into his own meal. He explained, "That's why we were sent outside to play almost immediately afterward. Well, that, and the adults didn't want us underfoot all day long. Now that I think about it, I think this was one of the only meals I remember my Nonna making. As the women in the family came into their own, I think she started leaving the cooking duties to them. Except for holidays. That's when Nonna really showed out. No one could beat her Pasticcio al forno for Natale—Christmas time. You haven't had Christmas dinner until you've been part of a Natale celebration. So much family you'd think the house would burst. Nothing but constant noise and chaos. I'd love for you to experience that at least once. It's unforgettable."

"It sounds wonderful. We had a couple of traditions for Christmas, too. Sugar cookies of all shapes and colors. Roast turkey with homemade stuffing. Real cranberries instead of the jelly roll. We could open one present each on Christmas Eve night but everything else had to wait until the next day." She paused, her eyes suddenly filling with tears as she thought of her mother. Dante reached across the table and stroked her hand in sympathy, saying, "I hope I didn't bring up any painful memories for you—I should have been thinking-"

"You didn't, Dante. I was just realizing this year would be the first Christmas without her. Your Christmas, your Natale, sounds awesome. Even though it was only the two of us, she tried hard to make it special so I wouldn't feel like I was getting less than the other kids in the neighborhood. It's strange how I never felt lonely; she and I were enough, I guess. Of course I didn't know any different—I thought we were normal but now that I think about it, I suppose we were a bit isolated. And now it's just me." Her tears fell faster and she tried to mop them up with a napkin, laughing, "I can cry at the drop of a hat, it seems. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring you down or anything-"

He pushed back away from the table and then motioned to her with his finger. "Come here." When she hesitated, he repeated, "Come on, come here." When she walked over to his side of the table, he pulled her onto his lap and hugged her as he held her. "First of all," he said, "I don't want you to apologize for your feelings, especially the way you feel about losing your mother. Second of all, even though she's gone, you aren't alone. God help you, but you've inherited the Spencers as family. And you have me, too. You are very far from alone, ok?"

"I feel like I should be stronger than this by now or something…"

"Wow, and there I was feeling honored that you could let yourself be vulnerable in front of me. Now I find out you're just a wimp who can't help herself. Way to burst my bubble." She thumped his chest with a flicked finger as she laughed, which was what he'd intended for her to do. He smiled in response and then jostled her slightly back and forth, reminding her, "We probably should get going if we want to be on time for work. I don't think I'll see you very much today—don't wanna tick off the boss. What are your plans for after?"

"Honestly, my biggest plan is a bubble bath in that huge spa tub with a nice glass of wine after I finish off the Fat Bob's leftovers. I've been promising myself one ever since I moved in here and I keep finding reasons to put it off. Tonight, I'm spoiling myself. Why? What do you have going on?"

"I'm gonna hang out at the loft for a while—Lulu is bringing Rocco over tonight. She has some kind of meeting at the Star so she's dropping him off."

"At least you're getting to see him and spend some time with him."

"Yeah, but it still feels weird-"

"What does?"

"Having to send him back at the end of our visits like, I don't know, like he's hers and she's just allowing me time with him. I thought to have him overnight but she made up some excuse for why it wasn't a good idea." He sighed aloud.

"It's got to be pretty hard on him right now to be away from his mother because he's so small. I know it sounds like a drag and a long time away, but as he gets older, it'll be easier for you to keep him overnight. Try to be patient, ok? As long as he knows who you are and you stay connected to him, neither he nor you will lose out." He chuckled as he hugged her tighter, asking, "Why exactly are you so wise?" "I thought you knew—it's all part of my fabulousness," she joked as she shrugged modestly.

"Well, fabulous angel, I'm gonna put the leftovers away and then we should hit it."

"Thanks for breakfast, Dante—well, for everything, really."

"My pleasure, as always," he replied before giving her wink and a quick peck on the cheek.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante answered the door with a huge grin as he motioned for Lulu to come into the loft. Before she could cross the threshold, he was lifting Rocco out of her arms and hugging him as he smothered him with tickling kisses. Rocco laughed in delight as he squealed and squirmed, trying unsuccessfully to avoid being tickled. Lulu giggled as she witnessed her son's gleefulness, and then sobered up as she addressed Dante. "I don't plan to be gone that long; hopefully, a couple of hours at the most. I have some investors from one of the smaller casinos in Atlantic City interested in a share of the Star. Tracy and I are going to meet with them. Nikolas as well, since he and Tracy also have an interest in the negotiations."

"I thought the whole reason you wanted the Haunted Star in the first place was so you could have something you could share with your father. Why would you be willing to take on outside investors? Next thing you know, they'll be taking over ownership of the club."

"That's why Nikolas is going to be there-because he's a businessman. If we don't like their initial terms, we won't deal. And there's no telling when or even if my dad is coming back. Tracy has to move on and so do I. I don't want to rely solely on Nikolas' money forever. I need to make the Star a viable money maker since I'll be supporting myself and Rocco. I also don't intend to live out on Spoon Island forever. I'm grateful to my brother, but I want to be independent of his help."

"Well, I'm going to be supporting Rocco monthly so that shouldn't be an issue as far as his care goes."

"As you should be doing since that's what we agreed on, but that's separate from what I need to live on."

"Don't tell me you're worried about how you'll make ends meet? You don't have to worry about that, Lulu. I'll make sure you have what you need-"

"Yeah, thanks, but no thanks. You support your son. That's all I need from you. That's all I want from you. Any other offer of 'help' you can keep."

"Ok. I know we're going through this thing-"

"This divorce. Call it what it is, a divorce."

"Fine. I know we're goin' through this divorce, but I was hopin' for Rocco's sake that we could at least be civil, if we couldn't be friends." Lulu snorted out a short laugh before saying, "I wonder sometimes what world you live in. Friends? Really? Civil for Rocco's sake? If I had my way, I'd be using one of Nikolas' people to bring Rocco back and forth to you, and I wouldn't have to see you at all. Like I said, though, I eventually want to break away from his support so there's no reason to start using his people if I'm trying to do things on my own."

"So we can't even speak without hostilities, then? This is the way it's gonna be from now on?"

"Look, this is about as non-hostile as I'm going to get. I'm actually standing in this loft, a place that used to be my home before you tainted it by screwing my cousin. I brought you your son so you could spend some time with him. I'm standing here giving you my time. How much more do you think you're entitled to, Dante?"

"It's not that I think I'm entitled to anything, Lulu. I was only thinkin', for Rocco's sake, that we could come to some kind of peaceful resolution-"

Lulu's temper exploded. "Peaceful resolution! Now you want a peaceful resolution? When I wanted to talk peace, you gave me a card for a divorce mediator and told me we were over. I love how you're always thinking of Rocco, though! So much so that you banged his cousin in his mother's bed! I come home just in time to have my world blown to bits as well as my son's world by you, but by all means, let's have a peaceful resolution between us now!"

"Oh, so is this the new way our history gets written? You as the undeservedly put upon wife who got cheated on? You didn't do anything wrong-"

"I sure didn't do anything that made me deserve you cheating on me with my cousin, no!"

"You act like you told me, 'Hey, I'm goin' to help save my brother,' and I thought, 'Good. This is a perfect time to screw her cousin behind her back!' No! I thought my lying wife—and you can't deny you lied to my face, now—was already cheatin' on me!"

"You sure didn't wait, though, did you? You didn't want to find out the truth! Why miss the chance to have sex with my cousin and blame me for it?"

"You know what? You can believe whatever you want to at this point, Lulu. You're the perfect heroine who didn't do anything wrong. So be it. You're perfect, I'm not. You're sugar and I'm scum—I get it."

"You said it, not me! But no, I don't think you're scum, just a liar who got my heart by promising me forever. I never should have believed you. I knew better but I let myself believe anyway. Never again."

"I didn't set out to hurt you, Lulu! I believed in that forever, too! I wanted it, too! And I counted on it! Right up until the moment I knew you were lookin' me in the eye and lyin' out of your teeth! That's when I stopped believin' in our forever!" Dante's eyes were bulging and his voice was shaking in his fury. All he had wanted to do was spend some time with his son. How had such an innocent desire escalated into a battle?

"Well I stopped believing in us the moment I found out you had slept with my cousin in my bed! And you tried to make me feel bad because you couldn't handle your own guilt! I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for that!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not askin' for your forgiveness, isn't it? I don't need the Princess, whose crap don't stink, forcin' herself to grant me, the lowly peasant whose crap stinks to high heaven, her exalted forgiveness!"

"You really are an utter bastard, aren't you-" Rocco chose that moment to object to his parents' amplifying voices by beginning to cry. They both reached for him but Dante picked him up first. He bounced him up and down as he tried to quiet and comfort him, whispering, "Shh, shh. It's ok. We're not mad at you, Buddy. Don't cry." He wouldn't be comforted, though, and cried even harder, causing Lulu to say, "Here, give him to me." Dante shot her an angry look before responding, "I've got him, Lulu. I am his father—I'll take care of him. We shouldn't be arguin' like this in front of him, anyway. I told you before I didn't want to do that. I know he's young but I don't want him even havin' a vague memory of his parents yellin' at each other."

"Then I guess you should have thought of that before you banged his cousin in his mother's bed. His life would be totally different if you hadn't have done that, and he wouldn't be seeing his parents yelling at each other." In exasperation, Dante walked over to the loft door and opened it widely. "Don't you have a meetin' to get to? Maybe you should go." Lulu stalked over to the door as she bitterly said, "Yeah, I should go. It's not like there's anything for me here but Rocco anyway. I'll be back for him in a couple of hours."

"Fine," he growled, slamming the door forcefully after her. He rubbed Rocco's back and his crying slowly subsided into intermittent hiccupping sobs. Dante sat down on the couch and gently rocked his son back and forth. Eventually, he felt Rocco relax against him as he fell asleep. How is it possible, he wondered in bewilderment, that so much love could turn into so much animosity and venom? Was it overnight, or had it really been building, lying just under the surface, waiting for an opportunity to explode? He didn't have an answer. All he knew was his feelings for the woman he had once loved more than life itself were fading away and being replaced by an almost savage contempt. How had they gotten here? If feuding couples could find the answer to that question, he finally reasoned, the divorce rate probably wouldn't be so high…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	23. Chapter 23

Ch. 23

After a couple of mindless hours channel surfing, Valerie was looking forward to the long soak in the spa tub that she had been promising herself for weeks now. In preparation she stripped down in her bedroom and wrapped herself in a fluffy cotton terry robe before making her way to the bathroom. Once again she admired Sonny's taste as she gazed around the bathroom—such opulence, she thought with a smile. "Our Sonny Corinthos is quite the narcissist," she murmured aloud, taking in the mirrored walls to her left and right. The cream on gold with red accents color scheme almost seemed artistic, and she wondered if he had personally chosen the colors or if someone had chosen for him. Either way, the effect was stunning and she appreciated the elegant setting. She turned on the taps to the huge tub, eventually adding her favorite Laura Mercier Crème Brûlée Honey Bath to the water. There were various candles of varying sizes strategically placed around the room and she was beginning to light them when she thought she heard a sound. Val opened the bathroom door and listened. It sounded like a knock on the front door. Turning the taps off, she made her way out of the room and down the stairs. Sure enough, someone was at the door.

When Val answered the knock, she was surprised to see Dante's mother, Olivia, standing there. "Hey, Valerie, you remember me, don't you, Dante's Ma? I was hopin' to get a chance to talk to you, if you have a minute." The treat of the long-anticipated bubble bath evaporated before her eyes as she opened the door wider, saying, "Of course I remember you. Please, come in. If you're looking for Dante, though, he's not here."

Olivia frowned as she entered the room. "Why would I expect to find him here? He's with Rocco back at the loft right now. No, I came to speak to you."

"I see. Well-" Val gestured toward the couch, adding, "We can have a seat here and you can tell me what's on your mind. I was going to have a glass of wine; would you like one, too?"

"This isn't exactly a social call, Valerie. I think I'll skip the wine," Olivia said with a bit of a bite in her voice.

"Ok. Would you like to make it one?" Valerie asked her.

"Whadda you mean?"

"Well, you obviously have something on your mind that you want to discuss with me, since you came all this way. 'Discuss' being the operative word. I don't mind sitting down with you to talk about whatever it is that brought you out here. If you came here to get on my case about how I'm a home-wrecking tramp, I'd just as soon not indulge you. Now I was going to have a glass of Pinot Noir, which I can promise you is the best owing to Sonny's excellent taste in wines. I'm asking you if you would like to share a glass with me," Valerie finished, giving Olivia a polite smile as she waited for an answer.

"When you put it that way, sure, I'll have a glass. Thank you," Olivia replied as she slightly shook her head. Valerie walked over to the china cabinet to get the glasses and to try to settle her nerves. She had been looking forward to relaxing and instead it seemed she was going to do the exact opposite. Mentally gearing up for battle, she returned to Olivia with the glasses and a bottle of Chardonnay Pinot Noir, which she had opened earlier before preparing her bath. She poured a measure of the wine into the glasses and then handed one to Olivia, saying," Enjoy. Sonny's wine collection is one of the best features of this place." Val took a sip and then turned to Olivia. "So, give it to me straight. What's up?"

Olivia stared at Val and then scratched her head in slight puzzlement before remarking with a laugh, "You aren't exactly behavin' like I thought you would—you're throwin' me off my game, here."

"What exactly were you expecting?"

"A little more defiance, a bit more fire. I figured you'd be pissed as hell that I had the nerve to show up here."

"Well, since we're going to have a nice, civil discussion, there's no need to be defiant, is there? You have some concerns, some things you need to say. Go ahead and say them."

"I'll jump right in, then. What exactly are you doin' here?"

"You mean existentially? As in, what is my purpose for being?" She laughed and then went on, "I'm sorry. I can be smart-mouthed sometimes—it's a failing of mine. What am I doing here in Sonny's penthouse or what am I doing in Port Charles?"

"Both, actually. You bein' here has caused a lot of problems for my kids, Valerie, problems I want fixed. I don't think they can be, though, as long as you're in town. So I'm wonderin', why did you stay?"

"Ok, that's a fair question. It's hard to answer, though, because it's an emotional subject for me. When I lost my mother, my world was rocked to the core. She and I were each other's strength, you see, and without her—well, let's just say I'm not feeling very strong without her. I thought maybe in Port Charles I wouldn't have the constant reminders of what I don't have any more because of her death. I don't want to forget her—I could never forget her, but I wanted to be somewhere where the memories of her aren't as deep. Where I don't look at every restaurant, every shopping mall, every park as the place where we did this or that. I'd also hoped to get to know my family a bit, and I'm doing that, too."

"Well you know your cousin Lulu doesn't want you here, though, right? And now that this situation has come up with you and Dante, she really wants you to go back home. Can you blame her? Havin' you here ended up bein' a disaster for her marriage."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, I really am. Lulu doesn't want me here, but Carly does. Sonny does. Dante does. And according to him, his brothers want to meet me, too. So I'm sorry for Lulu, too, but her feelings aren't the only ones that count. I understand that you see her as a daughter, one whose feelings you need to protect but how she feels about me isn't really my concern."

"That's kinda harsh, isn't it? When you're the one who blew up her marriage?"

"Am I? I'll admit, I had a part, but the real damage, in my opinion, was done by them. Lulu lied to Dante, which set this whole thing in motion. And contrary to what you might think, I didn't tie him down and force myself on him. He wanted me and I'll admit I wanted him back."

"And that makes it ok?"

"No it doesn't. We were both hurting that night. We did something that was wrong, but oh, so human. We were hurting and we reached out to each other. There wasn't any real thought or intent except to find some kind of comfort, to ease the ache. Haven't you ever done something unwise because of the pain you were in, something you thought better of later?" Olivia turned away as she was reminded of her drunken night with Julian. Yes, she knew what it was like to do something stupid because of pain. She didn't want to empathize with Valerie, though, because doing that felt like a betrayal of Lulu. She brushed those feelings aside and countered, "Ok, I've done things I shouldn't have done because I was in pain, but that didn't excuse what I did. It doesn't excuse what you did, either. What I was really wantin', what I was really hopin' was that you would see how your bein' here was disruptin' my kids' lives and keepin' them from gettin' back on track with each other. I thought that if you could just leave Dante alone-" The ringing doorbell interrupted Olivia mid-sentence. Val, shaking her head, rose from the couch to answer the door.

"Ohh, Angel," Dante said as he entered the room and caught Valerie in a tight hug, adding, "I needed to see you so I came, I rang the bell, and here you are. Wearing a robe, no less. What else are you wearing under there, or not wearing?" he asked, pulling at the lapels of her robe and peeking inside. She pinched his side hard and it finally registered that she had been being stiff and resistant ever since she had opened the door. "What?" he wondered. "I think she's tryin' to tell you that she's got company," Olivia said, standing up with her arms crossed and an angry expression on her face.

"Ma? What the hell are you doing here?" Dante inquired in embarrassment. Belatedly, he released the lapels of Val's robe and stepped away from her.

"What am I doin' here? What the hell are you doin' here, and grabbin' at her like that? Is that how it is between you two that you can be pawin' her in the doorway where anyone can see? I came over here to talk some sense into her but I guess it's you I need to be talkin' to, after all!"

"Wait a minute. Talk some sense into her? Whadda you mean? You've been over here hasslin' her all night? What's goin' on, Ma?"

"I was hopin' to talk her into leavin' so you and Lulu could have a chance to fix your marriage without her interferin'!"

"This isn't your business! And you don't have the right to come over here botherin' Val-"

"It's ok, Dante-" Valerie began saying but she was quickly cut off.

"No, it's far from ok! And I don't appreciate it! You're stickin' your nose in where it doesn't belong, Ma! I thought we already talked about this-"

"Valerie, could you give us some privacy?" Olivia requested.

"Sure, no problem," Val replied, picking up her wine glass and walking toward the stairs.

"Wait just a damned minute! You're not gonna come in here and start orderin' her around in her own house-"

"IT'S NOT HER HOUSE, IT'S SONNY'S HOUSE!" At that, Val decided her only choice for peace was to leave the room. "Look," she said, "You two obviously need to talk—I don't need to be here for this. It's ok, Dante," she told him when he would have protested. Turning to Olivia she said, "I can't say it's been a pleasure but it's good to have seen you again." Leaving the room she went back up the stairs and into the bathroom where she emptied the tub and began refilling it with warm water. She could still hear them shouting so she turned on the mini stereo in the room, drowning out their raised voices. She picked up her wine and then slid into the tub gratefully once it was full. She was going to relax if it killed her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante was angry as he looked incredulously at his mother. Wasn't it enough, he thought to himself, that he'd already had one run in with Lulu? All he wanted was some comfort and some peace, which was why he had come over to Val's, only to find his mother doing what she did best. Aloud, he snapped, "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am! I thought we already talked about all this when you came bargin' into the loft last week! What the hell makes you think you have the right to be here doin' this?"

"You show me some respect, Dante-"

"Respect? Why should I? YOU'RE NOT RESPECTIN' ME, ARE YOU? You want respect, you gotta give respect!"

"Meanin' what?"

"Meanin' I'm a grown ass man, that's what, not some little kid that you have to chase behind! This is none of your business, Ma! What is with you? Why are you always stickin' your nose in where it doesn't belong?"

"Where it doesn't belong? I care about you! And Lulu! I don't wanna see you two makin' the biggest mistake of your lives! What's so wrong with me tryin' to stop that if I can?"

"Because you can't, Ma, that's why! It's over between Lulu and me, ok? Let it go. Stop tryin' to fix what can't be fixed!"

"Why can't it be fixed? Because of Miss Thing upstairs?"

"Because I'm done with it. Lulu's done with it. That's why."

"That's not what she told me, Dante!"

"Oh, really? What'd she tell you, then?"

"She said you're the one pushin' her away! She wanted to try, to see a counselor, and you said 'no' and had her served with papers!"

"There's irony for you," Dante said, laughing derisively, "because she just told me she wished she didn't even have to see me or deal with me. So she's either lyin' to you, or she's lyin' to me. Either way, she's lyin', which is part of the reason we got in this mess in the first place! And I don't care which, ok? It doesn't matter anymore!"

"And that's why you can maul Valerie in the hallway? Because you don't care and it doesn't matter? So you've decided to throw away your marriage and get somethin' goin' with her?"

"Yeah, Ma. That's exactly what I've decided. Now I'm tellin' you for what I hope will be the last time—butt out! You've got your own problems to sort out without tryin' to solve mine, especially when no one asked you!"

"What're you talkin' about?"

"Damiano, Ma. Damiano! Remember him? When are you gonna bring him home? When are you gonna tell his father that his son is alive? How're you gonna fix that, huh? Doesn't Julian have the right to know his kid isn't dead?"

"You been talkin' to your father about this?"

"Why?"

"Because he said the same thing."

"So Sonny knows about this? See what I'm sayin'? Who else is gonna find out about this and blow it out of the water before you have a chance to make it right? Every day that my little brother isn't here is a day he's growin' up without his parents, ever thought of that? I'm glad you kept me away from Sonny, I'm not gonna lie. But Damiano's somewhere without either of his parents, and it isn't right or fair. You need to be thinkin' about how you're gonna bring him home, not buttin' into my business! Fix your own life! Leave mine alone! And stay outta Val's face, you hear? I love you, Ma. I love you like crazy but I cut you out of my life once before and I'll do it again if I have to! Leave Val alone!"

"So now you're threatenin' me? First Sonny and now you. Sometimes you really are your father's son!"

"I'm not threatenin' you, I'm warnin' you. Bring Damiano home. Get that mess straightened out. Stop worryin' about my life and let me handle it." He walked over to her and grabbed her arm before pulling her to the door. He opened it and then turned her to face him. "Now, give me a hug," he said, laughing at the face she was making at him. He hugged her and she reluctantly hugged him back. "Go home, Ma," he went on, "Go home and figure out your own stuff. Concentrate on that, ok?" Dante pushed her out of the door and watched her walk to the elevator. He shook his head as he closed the door behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie felt as though she was floating on a sea of warmth as she lay in the tub, almost completely submerged. Since she was resting her head on a bath pillow, she was so relaxed that she almost fell asleep, hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness. She opened one eye when she heard Dante enter the room. Sighing, she said, "I didn't hear any more shouting so I figured either you two had killed one another or you'd finally gotten her to leave. I don't see any blood—I guess she left, huh?"

"I can't apologize enough for her, Val. I love her, I really do, but sometimes I could just wring her neck! It's like she's made a career of butting into my business, with no sense of boundaries. It's irritating."

Valerie opened her eyes fully as she looked at him and said, "I'm gonna say this because I care about you, ok?"

"Ok."

"Your mom is annoying!" They laughed together but she added, "She's only like that because she cares for you. I would give anything to have my mom back annoying me. Even if she was giving me a hard time about you being here, or us being involved, or whatever. I'd take it in a heartbeat, just to hear her voice one more time. As irritating as she is, cherish her, Dante. You never know when she might be taken from you." He knelt on his knees by the side of the tub and he reached out, stroking her hair lightly. "You're right, as usual. I didn't think about it like that—all I could see was how obnoxious she could be sometimes. Thank you for setting me straight."

"Any time." She closed her eyes again and moved further down in the water.

"You look entirely too relaxed right now."

"Ohh, I am. I feel like I'm wrapped in a cocoon of warmth. It's heavenly. Are you jealous? You want to join me?"

"I thought about it but somehow, I don't think I could be in there, sliding against your slick, wet skin without taking you, and that's a violation of the rules. Plus you've earned the peace. You emerged unscathed with minimal damage from a title bout with Olivia Falconeri. You lasted the whole ten rounds—I'm proud of you."

"She loves you—I get it. She's doing what she thinks she has to to keep her family intact. I don't blame her."

"Just as long as she didn't get to you, turn you off me-"

"Mmm, not possible."

"No?"

"No." Dante leaned his face in close to hers and she smiled when she felt his breath on her lips. She extended her tongue, stroking a light caress at the corner of his mouth. He opened his mouth slightly as he moved closer, rubbing his lips against hers before finally kissing her gently. He drew back, reminding her, "I said you'd earned your peace, so I'm gonna leave you to it." He stood up and moved away from the tub. She looked at him again and asked, "Are you staying tonight?"

"Is that ok with you?"

"Of course."

"Then yeah, I'm staying. You enjoy yourself there, and when you're finished, I'll be waiting in the bedroom to give you a good night kiss. Do me a favor? Don't keep me waiting too long, ok? I want what I missed because of my Ma being here."

"Which is what?"

"The chance to hold you in my arms. I don't wanna fall asleep without you tonight." They held one another's gazes before she responded, "I don't want you to fall asleep without me, either. I won't be too much longer, I promise." "I'm holding you to that," he said as he walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom. "Whoo, that man," she thought, watching him walk away. Then she covered her face in her hands and let out a little squeal. She wasn't exactly sure that she could put a name to this feeling she was feeling, but she knew one thing—whatever it was, she wanted more of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	24. Chapter 24

Ch. 24

The sun was already high and streaming into the room when Dante awakened. He looked over at Valerie, who was sprawled out on the other side of the bed, with a tender smile. It was the weekend so he had the thought to lie back down next to her and snuggle a bit to just relax into the day but when he glanced at his phone, he realized that someone had already left a message for him. This early in the morning? He hoped it didn't mean trouble, he thought as he eased out of bed and walked into the bathroom to retrieve the text. "Sonny here. Call me when you get this," Dante read. Sonny, this early in the morning? Must be a problem. He sighed and then called his father.

"Dante? Hey, thanks for callin' me back so soon. So, here's the deal. Carly and I are plannin' to have dinner over here tonight to welcome Val to the family. The boys will be here and Joss, and we're havin' a special guest, too. Why don't you get with Val and see if she can make it?"

"I'll ask her, Sonny. A special guest? Like who?"

"You'll find that out when you get here. Try to see if you can bring Rocco, too. My guest wants to meet him."

"I'll talk to Lulu about it. What time is this dinner?"

"Let's shoot for five-thirty, six o'clock, since the kids shouldn't be up too late. So it's doable so far?"

"Yeah, Sonny. I still have to talk to Val but she knew Michael and Morgan wanted to meet her, so I'm sure she'll be up for it. I'll let you know if she can't come; otherwise, expect us around fiveish."

"Good, good. Lookin' forward to it." Sonny disconnected and Dante returned to the bedroom to find Val sitting up, groggily scanning her surroundings. "Mmm," she said when she saw him, "I thought maybe you'd left already."

"Left for where?" he inquired with a puzzled frown.

"Work, silly," she responded with a little laugh.

"You're the silly one, Angel. It's Saturday, remember?"

"Is it? It is, isn't it? Wow, how did get that mixed up? I sure did think I had to get up and get ready for work!" She fell back onto the bed with a groan, adding, "Maybe I can get a couple more hours sleep in then."

"Is that your plan, to laze the day away?"

"Doesn't it sound good? Just lying here in each other's arms drifting in and out of sleep?"

"That's one plan, but I have to call Lulu to see if I can get Rocco earlier than we'd agreed, and depending on her mood, that might take some finessing. Plus I want to give her enough advanced notice before springing it on her."

"Why, what's up?"

"We, my lady, have been summoned."

"Summoned? Summoned where?"

"Sonny tagged me this morning. He and Carly want to host a 'Welcome to the Family' dinner for the latest Spencer. They're expecting us to show up around five o'clock or so."

"For the latest Spencer? For me? Oh, wow."

"Problem?"

"No, just feeling like I'll be under a spotlight or something. Who all is going to be at this dinner?"

"Just family, I think. Well, mostly. Sonny, Carly, Michael and Morgan, Joss, Avery, and I think that's it, unless the guys bring their girlfriends. Oh and there's gonna be a 'special guest' there, too. And before you ask, Sonny wouldn't say who it was so I'm just as in the dark about it as you are."

"Hmm," she said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and sitting there for a moment. She gazed back regretfully at the pillows before standing up resolutely. "Wyndham's is having a pretty good sale so maybe I should go and see what I can get for this dinner. Is it formal, casual, what?"

"Don't go to any fuss, Val. I'm sure it's casual—Sonny would have said otherwise. We're gonna show up, you'll meet the family; we'll eat some good food and have a good time. One thing I can say for Sonny—he knows how to cook."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Dante mentioned to Lulu that he wanted to pick Rocco up earlier than they had previously agreed upon, he didn't tell her the reason, thinking that discretion would be the better course of action. He didn't know how she'd react if she knew that Sonny and Carly were having a dinner in Valerie's honor. And that a special guest would be there who wanted to meet Rocco. He thought it best not to give her a reason to refuse.

Shortly after five o'clock, Dante, Valerie and Rocco were headed to Greystone. Initially, Valerie had wanted to bring a 'Thank You' gift to Sonny and Carly but Dante was able to talk her out of it, assuring her, "They won't be expecting one, Val. What can you get them that they don't already have, anyway? Don't worry about it." They pulled up to the driveway and while Dante wrestled with getting Rocco out of the car seat, Val was gathering his baby bag and toys from the back seat. Finally having retrieved everything, they trooped to the front door and Dante rang the bell. He was pleasantly shocked by the person who answered the door, exclaiming, "Whoa, Mike! Hey, man, it's good to see you!" He shifted Rocco to his hip to give Mike a side hug. Turning to Val, he made the introductions. "Val, this is Mike Corbin, Sonny's father. My grandfather. Mike, this is Val, the guest of honor." Mike reached out to shake Val's hand, saying, "So you're Val. Nice to meet you. Michael has been telling me about you—it's good to finally put a face to the name. Come in, come in." He stood back to allow them entry into the house.

"Michael's been telling you about me?" wondered Val, further explaining, "He and I haven't even officially met yet."

Dante laughed at her puzzlement. "I think Mike and maybe the court system are the only ones who refer to Sonny as 'Michael'. Everyone else knows him as 'Sonny'."

"Dante's right. I do call him 'Sonny' from time to time but I named him Michael and that's the name that sticks most of the time in my mind when I think of him. And this," he added, nodding at the toddler, "Must be Rocco. My great-grandson. I never thought I'd live to see my own great-grandchild, and here he is. He's a good looking boy, Dante." He chucked Rocco under the chin and tickled him, making him giggle.

"Thanks, Mike."

"Three generations of Corinthos men under one roof-"

"I still think of myself as a Falconeri, Mike. That's the name Rocco has, too."

"Of course, of course. You can be a Falconeri, Dante but don't forget—whether or not you claim it for yourself or for your son, half of your heritage is Corinthos. Which reminds me, I hope you two brought strong appetites! Sonny and I have been dueling it out in the kitchen and you'll all have to judge the results."

Carly entered the front room and after giving Val a hug and Dante a nod of the head, she commented, "Welcome. The kids are upstairs in the playroom, Dante, if you want to take Rocco up. Mercedes and another part-time nanny are there to watch the smaller ones, so he'll be in good hands."

"Thanks, Carly," Dante said, taking the baby bag from Val before ascending the staircase. Val and Carly watched them walk away and then Carly turned to Val with her eyebrow raised. "So he's carrying the baby and you're carrying the baby bag. You two look awfully cozy."

Val laughed inwardly as she thought of how she had spent the last couple of nights sleeping in Dante's arms. Aloud, she stated, "I don't know about all that, Carly. We haven't decided what, if anything, we are to each other. He needed help carrying the baby stuff—I had an extra hand, that's all."

"Uh huh."

"No, really, that's how it is. We haven't made any kinds of declarations—we're just taking each day as it comes."

"Sounds smart. Don't forget, he and Lulu are still married. I know they're saying they're getting divorced but they have a habit of breaking up and getting back together. I'll admit this split is a bit more serious than the usual, but they might surprise you. Just be careful, little cousin, that you don't get your heart broken."

"Well, I'll say this much, with all the warnings I've been getting from just about everyone except maybe Sonny, if I do get my heart broken, it won't be because I didn't know any better! Changing the subject, thank you for hosting this dinner and inviting me. I'm looking forward to meeting my cousins."

"You're welcome. We knew Mike was coming to town so it seemed like the perfect time for a family gathering. Come on, I'll introduce you to the boys." They walked from the front room to the living room where Michael and Morgan were having a lively debate about the Yankees-Blue Jays game that had been played earlier in the day. They both stood when the ladies entered the room and Carly gestured to them, saying, "Valerie, this is my oldest, Michael, and my middle son Morgan." Val extended her hand to each of them in turn, shaking their hands. Michael smiled and remarked, "It's strange that we're just now meeting. One way and another, we've heard so much about you—welcome to the family."

"Thank you. I was telling Dante how strange it is to go from being an only child with seemingly no other relatives to having a house full of them! I'm glad to meet you both-"

"That's because you don't know them yet," Dante interjected as he walked into the room to join them. "Once you actually know them, you'll regret it just like I do!" He laughed when Morgan shot him a dirty look.

"You're just feeling like that because you're a big brother. I'm sure I'll grow to appreciate my cousins very much. And if I'm not mistaken, I seem to remember someone saying that he was glad they had stopped by to keep him company a few days ago… That was you, wasn't it? He likes you both more than he's letting on." Dante pinched Val's side playfully, causing Morgan and Michael to exchange knowing looks. He told her, "Don't tell all my secrets! They don't need to know that!"

"I'm only saying people should be told when they're appreciated, that's all, and not be made to feel like pests!" Dante was preparing to respond when Sonny entered the room with a big grin on his face as he rubbed his hands together. "It's time to eat," he announced with a flourish, further asserting, "I think you guys will be impressed with the menu tonight. Mike and I were havin' a showdown, so you'll have to tell us what you like better." Leading the way to the dining room, he explained, "Tonight's menu is Greek and Cuban, just like we are. We've got two kinds of lamb, one fixed Cuban-style, and one Greek. Same thing with the salads. I let Mike have his way with the dessert, which, according to him, is actually some kind of fusion thing—I'll let him tell you about that. Sit, sit. Hey," he stopped speaking and glanced around the room, "Where's Josslyn?"

"I told her to come down when she saw Dante," Carly said in exasperation. She walked out of the room and went to the edge of the staircase, shouting, "Josslyn John Jacks! I told you we were having dinner as soon as Dante and Val got here! Get down here!" Joss came down the stairs, her hands on her hips in displeasure as she muttered, "I was playing with the babies and I didn't see Dante."

"Sure you didn't," she was told. She and her mother made their way to the dining room where everyone else was waiting to dig in. "There's plenty, so eat up," Sonny said. As they began passing dishes around the table, Dante asked, "Why exactly is there so much food when it's just us? Michael, Sabrina couldn't come? Kiki, Morgan?"

"Sabrina thought it would be better if it was only family for this one. I tried to convince her to come but she said next time, definitely. I hope," he went on, addressing Mike, "you get a chance to meet her before you go back to New Mexico." Mike nodded after taking a bite of his Kokkinisto.

"Morgan, where's Kiki?"

"Ididn'tinviteher," he tried to say around a large helping of lamb shank.

"What?"

"I didn't invite her," he said again. Everyone looked around the table in astonishment before Carly finally voiced what they all were thinking. "Why on earth didn't you invite her to come, Morgan? I thought she'd just decided not to come, not that you didn't even invite her!"

"Dunno," he responded, stating further, "I didn't think about it." There were collective frowns on the faces of the adults before Michael spoke up, "You two have the weirdest relationship in history!"

Josslyn piped up, "Well, Morgan's weird, so he would have a weird relationship!" Everyone but Morgan laughed, who huffed, "Shut up, brat. You don't know anything about it." "I know you're a weirdo," she insisted. Smothering a chuckle, Carly said, "Enough, Josslyn. Eat your dinner and stop upsetting your brother." Sticking out her tongue at Morgan as a parting shot, Joss turned her attention back to her plate.

Conversation briefly lagged as everyone tucked into their meals and then Val turned to Mike, asking, "Did I hear right? You live in New Mexico?" "Yeah, I do." "I've always wanted to see the Southwest. What's it like there?" "It's beautiful. Peaceful. There's just enough to do during the day to keep me out of trouble, and enough to do at night to keep me from being bored. It's nothing like New York but that's part of the attraction, I guess."

Morgan wondered, "Enough to keep you out of trouble? Aren't there casinos in Albuquerque?" A collective groan went around the table and Sonny briefly dropped his head in embarrassment before muttering, "The mouth on this kid!" Aloud he growled, "Morgan, seriously?" Genuinely confused, Morgan shrugged and asked, "What'd I say that was so wrong? I was just saying-"

"Hang on, guys," Mike spoke up, "In Morgan's defense, he and I both know something about gambling issues so I see where he's coming from. Answering your question, Morgan, there are casinos in Albuquerque. Something about the action is different, though. For example, if I was here, I know about four different places where I'm known and I could get a game. That old buzz would set in and before I knew it, I'd be in over my head in no time flat. The excitement isn't the same back home, which works for me. Plus, I know if I wanted real action, Las Vegas is a short plane ride away. I remind myself of all I allowed gambling to take away from me, though, and I'm able to resist. One day at a time, right?"

"That's good to hear, Mike," Sonny said, "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Michael. Believe it or not, making you proud of me, making you all proud of me is one of my main motivations for staying straight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After dinner, Mike brought out his masterpiece, an oregano and lemon flan, the ultimate in fusion cuisine, he declared. Most of the looks on the faces of those at the table ranged from mild disbelief to outright skepticism as they eyed the dessert. "Just try it first, and then decide," he challenged them. Slowly, the expressions changed from skepticism to delight as they tasted the treat. "It's good, right? There's a restaurant back home that serves this as a specialty of the house. The key is the right balance of lemon zest and oregano. Greek and Cuban flair at its finest."

Valerie frowned as she looked first at Mike, then at Sonny. "I thought you guys were Italian."

"A lot of people make that mistake, Valerie," Mike told her, going on to say, "I'm actually Greek and Irish. Michael's mother was Cuban. Then you throw in someone like Dante, whose mother is Italian, and you've got-"

"A mutt," finished Dante jokingly, making everyone laugh. Mike shot him a recriminating look as he pointed at him. "I was going to say, an interesting mixture. A lot of nationalities represented here but at the end of the day, we're a family. That's really the most important thing—that we all belong, that there's a place for all of us."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, a clear winner for the best lamb dish wasn't declared. The entire meal had been exceptional, enhanced only by the feelings of familial warmth shared by all at the table. The night was ending and the leftovers were divided up among the boys before they departed for the evening. Hugs and kisses were given, a thump on the back of the head from Morgan to Joss for which he was sharply reprimanded, and then Michael and Morgan left. After a few more minutes of idle chitchat, Dante went to the playroom to retrieve a sleeping Rocco. Valerie, Mike, Sonny and Carly stood in the front room waiting for his return. Into the silence Valerie asked Mike, "How long are you here for, Mike?"

"I'm planning to try to hang on until after Sonny's and Carly's wedding, if they can ever make some definite decisions!"

"Hey, we're workin' on it—we want everythin' to be just right."

"Yep," wisecracked Carly, "The fifth time has to be perfect!"

"Well, I'm glad I got the chance to meet you either way. You are a master chef—I see where Sonny gets his skills from!"

"Thank you, Val. I'm glad I got to meet you, too. Welcome to the family. Well, I know you're a Spencer, but you know what I mean!"

"Thanks, Mike." Dante came down the stairs holding Rocco and without even thinking about it, Val reached out for the baby bag just as Dante was handing it to her, making Sonny smile and nod his head. As they walked outside, Dante turned to Mike and queried, "Are we gonna see more of you before you head back to New Mexico?"

"I was just telling Val that I intend to be here at least until the wedding. And we're going to have to make some time for each other, too, Dante. We talked more when we didn't know we were related than after! You need to come hang out with your grandpa a bit before I go home, ok?"

"I'll do that, Mike—bet on it." Sonny and Valerie were walking slightly behind Mike and Dante and in a low voice, Sonny remarked, "You guys look good together—like a family." "Don't get ahead of yourself, Sonny. That's not what this is," Val responded, shaking her head. Sonny disagreed but he didn't challenge her. Dante settled Rocco into his car seat and then Val thanked Sonny again for the invitation, and the great meal. "Anytime," he told her, adding, "I'm glad you could come." With a final wave goodbye, they pulled out of Sonny's driveway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Staring out of the window, Valerie was reflecting on the evening's events when Dante interrupted her. "You're quiet. What are you thinking about?"

"I had a nice time. I like this family of ours."

"Ours?"

"Yeah. Weird, isn't it? Your brothers, my cousins. Your son, my cousin. Carly and Joss, my cousins. Of course I'm not related to Sonny or Mike, but you are. It really felt like a big, happy family tonight. It was cool to be a part of it. I'm glad we went."

"Yeah, I enjoyed myself, too. And I haven't seen Mike in forever! He looks good—I think New Mexico has been good for him. One less worry for Sonny." They eventually arrived at the Harbor View Towers entrance and Val turned to Dante with a smile. "Thanks for the ride, mister. I had a great time."

"You're welcome, lady. I'm gonna miss having you in my arms tonight."

"Me too, but it's more important for Rocco to see something familiar since he's away from Lulu so you should be at the loft tonight. If you want to dream about me, though, that's not against the rules." He reached out suddenly and pulled her to him, cupping his hand behind her neck to bring her closer. Slowly kissing her, he used his lips and tongue to coax her into returning his embrace. Their tongues darted and danced caressingly for a few moments before Valerie finally drew back. "Whew. You'd better go before I ask you to stay," she told him.

"Ok. See you tomorrow?"

"Count on it. Good night. Dream of me."

"Let's dream about each other. And remember, you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine." She watched as he drove away and then with a contented smile, she made her way to the penthouse.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	25. Chapter 25

Ch. 25

The next morning, Mike was pleasantly surprised to find Dante and Rocco on Sonny's front doorstep. With a huge grin, he motioned for them both to enter the parlor. "Wow," he laughingly observed, "You said you would come, and here you are, both of you." "I hope it's ok that we came, Mike. I should have called you first but I thought I'd come out here before I have to take Rocco back to Lulu. She's staying out at Wyndemere, so it's kind of inconvenient to get back and forth," explained Dante. "It's not a problem—I'm glad to see you. I've been trying to arrange a time to connect with Spencer, too. I'm not sure about riding on the launch but I definitely need to see him before I leave here. So far I haven't been able to reach Nikolas, though." Gesturing toward the stairs, Mike added, "Let's go up to the playroom. Avery's there, and she and Rocco can play together while we talk." After Dante settled Rocco in Avery's playpen with a couple of his favorite toys, he and Mike stood there watching the two babies in amusement. Finally, Mike remarked in amazement, "Not only do I have a great-grandson, but a new granddaughter, as well! One thing I'll say for your father—he doesn't show any signs of letting up in the baby-making department!" "Think about how I feel! I've got a sister and a brother not too much younger than my own son! Let that sink in for a minute!" Mike looked at Dante in puzzlement before asking, "I thought Michael told me a while back that Olivia's son passed away? I'm guessing there's more to the story?" In mortification Dante closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm begging you to forget I said that, Mike. My little brother is alive but for now, only a few people know that. My mother is trying to decide whether or not to tell his father that she lied to everyone. It's a mess, but I want to respect her request for secrecy."

"No sweat—I won't breathe a word."

"Thanks. Sonny is one of the few who knows, by the way, but no one else in the family does."

"That's a pretty heavy secret to carry, Dante. I hope she knows what she's doing."

"She doesn't, but that's never stopped her before." Mike turned to Dante and held his gaze for a moment and then he questioned, "So, how are you really?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know it's been a long time since we saw each other last but you've had some pretty big changes in your life lately. How's fatherhood, for example?"

"It's good. Lulu and I had a bumpy road getting to Rocco. Did Sonny tell you about the whole custody thing with Maxie?"

"He mentioned it but he didn't go in depth. He just said it looked like you were going to lose your little girl. That must have been tough."

"Yeah, it was. Letting her go, saying 'goodbye', the court battle, Lulu leaving me because I couldn't lie in court…" He sighed as he remembered how difficult those days had been and then he brightened again, thinking of Rocco. "We didn't think we could have children of our own in the first place, that's how we got into the surrogacy thing with Maxie. Then we found out that Rocco was our son. That was insanity! The woman who carried him, her reasons why, that whole mess was just out there. But we got our Rocco out of it. And I love being his dad. I actually think I'm good at it. At least, I used to think that…"

"I'll admit I haven't seen a lot of you with him so far, but he seems happy and cared for well enough. I'd say you've got the fatherhood thing down pat. Where's the uncertainty coming from?" They looked around the room for chairs; Mike chose the rocking chair leaving Dante to choose the daybed in the corner. Once they had settled comfortably, Dante continued, "I feel like I'm letting him down. I wanted him to have two parents at home. I feel like I've failed, somehow."

"Look, let me tell you about failure. Failure is getting so hooked on gambling and boozing that you end up abandoning your wife and young son. That's failure. You don't plan on abandoning Rocco, do you?"

"No, of course not! But-"

"But nothing! That's all any kid needs, Dante, a presence. Someone who's solid and around. He'll never wonder who his father is or where he is. Or why he left. That's everything, son. Don't sell it short."

"You sound like Val."

"Hmm, yes, Val."

"You don't approve?"

"I've seen you two together and I like her, so that's not the issue. I'm remembering how in love you and Lulu were, though. Like I said, you've been through a lot of changes lately. Are you sure you two are over?"

"You know, Mike, when I first saw Lulu, I fell for her like a ton of bricks. I knew I had to get to know her. Once I got to know her, I knew I had to make her mine. That took some convincing. We'd had some drama come up along the way, some hurdles we had to clear but after we got married, I thought we were home free. I'm not sure what made me think we'd conquered all we would have to. Probably because we seemed so in sync most of the time. There were little things along the way, though, things I guess we had both buried. So when it came down to this one situation, everything we'd been able to bury came bubbling up to the surface, I guess. She lied to me, chose her father over me. I thought of all the times I'd gone on 'adventures' with her, pulling her butt out of the flames yet she chose not to trust me with this one because her father told her not to. I thought of all the times she left me for lying to her or keeping secrets from her for other people. It just stacked up in my mind and in my heart and put a block there that I can't get rid of."

"You know your own heart best and you know what you can and can't tolerate. Things happen that spiral and lead to bigger things sometimes. It's a test, Dante. To see if you can go the distance or if you have to concede. Maybe as much as you wanted to, you weren't meant to go the distance. You're young yet, you and Lulu. The things you can't put up with now you'll find won't be so bothersome when you get a bit more age on you. You can't fake how you feel,though. Well, you can, but it doesn't make for a good or healthy relationship. Sometimes it's good to let go before too much damage is done."

"How much more damage could there be than me sleeping with her cousin? I'm pretty sure the maximum damage is done already."

"Live a little longer. You'll be surprised what you can tolerate and what you can forgive."

"So what are you saying? That I should stay with Lulu, and try to make it work anyway?"

"No, I'm not saying that at all, especially if your mind and heart are saying that you need to let go. I think I'm saying time softens the way we look at things, that's all. Hindsight can be a butt kicker sometimes. I just hope you don't regret letting go of your marriage on top of the other regrets you have but you're the one who has to live with yourself. If you think it's done, it's done."

"I think we're both too resentful and angry with each other to go on. She doesn't even want to see me if she doesn't have to, and if I'm being honest, if it wasn't for Rocco, I'd be thinking the same way. All I feel when I see her is anger at this whole thing. Well, I go back and forth between anger and just wanting it over with. It's weird."

"And where does Valerie fit into all this?"

"Where does she fit? I'm not sure. We're figuring that out. I like being with her—it's comfortable. She's been through a lot which makes me want to protect her. She's strong, though, so it's not like she really needs protecting… It's just a feeling I have. I want to make her life better. When she's not there, I'm looking for her, and when she is there, I feel settled, like everything's ok. From the beginning I found her attractive but she was my wife's cousin, so I saw her as family. Even knowing that, though, there was a draw there, a pull of some kind. After everything blew up, she's been a real source of strength and comfort for me. And now I'm at the point where I can't imagine her not being there."

"Sounds like you're in love to me."

Dante shook his emphatically, asserting, "I don't think it's love, Mike, not yet. I don't know what it is. I don't think I have the right to love her yet, not until Lulu and I are settled. Maybe that's why I'm holding back a bit—because I don't have the right to love her yet." He thought for a moment and then smiling, he added, "But later on, I can definitely see it happening. She's easy to love."

Mike laughed inwardly at Dante's admission but he chose not to call his attention to what he had just said. "Poor kid," he thought, "he's got it bad and he doesn't even know it yet."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They talked together into the afternoon. In between feeding the babies, they talked about New Mexico, Sonny's and Carly's upcoming marriage, Dante's partner being in the hospital and all the changes that had taken place in Port Charles since Mike had last been there, among other things. It was going toward the early evening when Dante reluctantly took his leave of his grandfather to get Rocco home. It had been good, he thought as he and Rocco rode the launch toward Spoon Island, to spend so much time with Mike. He'd missed him, he realized. He would have to make a better effort to keep in touch with him in the future…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While Dante had spent his morning with his grandfather, Valerie, after running an important errand at a local locksmith's shop, spent her morning cleaning the penthouse. She knew if Sonny had his way, he probably would have sent someone over to cook and clean for her but she didn't want to get too spoiled. She would accept the offering of the penthouse but she drew the line at butlers and maids. She planned to stay grounded regardless of the opulence surrounding her. She was in the middle of dusting the living area when the doorbell sounded. Not expecting any visitors, she curiously opened the door. Two delivery men stood outside, both coming to attention when she wondered, "Can I help you guys?"

"Yeah. We're from Simon's Baby and Teen. We got a delivery for this address-"

"I think you've made a mistake," she interrupted them to say further, "I didn't order anything-"

"No, Mr. Sonny Corinthos ordered it. He said he wanted it delivered to this address, and he'd pay us extra to set it up. Can we come in?" Opening the door wider she answered, "Sure, I guess, since Sonny sent you. What exactly is it?" One of the delivery guys handed her his clipboard as he and his helper began dragging furniture into the house. Val looked at the delivery items with a growing sense of dismay.

The main spokesman of the twosome asked, "Which room is the extra one?"

"The extra one?"

"Yeah. He said there was a master bedroom, a guest room, and an extra one. Could you show us to the extra room, please?" Leading them up the stairs she showed them to the room to which she thought Sonny might have been referring. "Thanks, Ma'am," they intoned, and then they got to work, bringing furniture from the truck to the penthouse and into the "extra room." When they finally finished the delivery, they all stood back and admired the results. "Everything ok the way it is, or do you want us to change some stuff around?"

"No, you can leave everything the way it is. You've really done a wonderful job—it looks great. I'm still not sure why he had this sent here, but it is his house, so—thanks, I guess." She was patting her pockets and searching around before realizing, "My purse—it's in the other room, so if you'll hold on-"

"Mr. Corinthos took care of all that, Ma'am, including signing for it. All we had to do was deliver it and set it up. Since that's everything, we'll get out of your hair."

"Well, thanks for this, I suppose." she replied haltingly.

"You're welcome." She walked them to the door and with a final wave, they got on the elevator. She closed the door and leaned against it with a frown. What the heck?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This time when the doorbell rang, she was almost afraid to answer it. Slowly opening the door she saw Dante standing there with a smile on his face, a smile that turned to bewilderment when she tried to see around him, peeking to his left and then to his right. "Are you looking for something in particular?" he inquired.

"No," she responded, "I guess not." When she didn't move, he added, "Can I come in, or-"

Flustered, she laughed in embarrassment. "Sorry! Of course, come in. I—was—expecting—I don't know what I was expecting. Or rather, I do, I think."

"You're not making any sense, you know. What's the matter?" Not knowing how to answer, she grabbed him by the hand and began leading him up the staircase. "You'll have to see it for yourself," she finally told him.

She opened the door to the "extra room" with a flourish and the frown on his face matched the one she'd had earlier. She began to clarify, "This arrived this afternoon-"

"What is this?" he interrupted, going on, "Why did you do this? Who told you to do this?"

"What do you mean?"

He gazed around the room at the baby crib and all the accompanying furnishings, shaking his head. "Rocco already has this stuff at Wyndemere, and at the loft. Why on earth would you set this up here?" At first, she had been about to explain how the delivery came to be there but after his initial reaction, she made a different decision. "What's wrong with this being here, Dante?"

"I'm not even sure Rocco would get any use out of it! We talked about how when he's with me he should be in familiar surroundings! Right now, that pretty much means the loft. I can't believe you did all this without talking it over with me first!"

Coolly she retorted, "Actually, you jumped in without letting me finish what I'd been going to say. In case you've forgotten, I'm only a tenant here—I don't have the right to go changing anything in Sonny's house, as far as I'm concerned. Sonny had this sent here and he paid for it to be set up. Now I suppose I could have called him and demanded to know why he'd had all this sent here but since this is his house, I didn't think that would be right. But by all means, you call him and get on his case about it. It's good to know, though, that if I had been the one to buy all this, this would have been your reaction."

"Hang on a minute-"

"For what? Obviously, I would have been in the wrong for wanting Rocco to be comfortable if he ever came here. What'd you think, huh? That I'd overstepped some boundary? That's what you thought I did, isn't it? Wow. So Rocco's off limits, is that it?"

"Wait a minute, hang on-"

"I'm just reacting to your overreaction, Dante! I'm trying to figure out where you're coming from! If I **had** done this, what exactly would I have done that was so wrong?"

"Nothin', Valerie. Ok, so I totally got my wires crossed, and I'm sorry-"

"You got your wires crossed? Are you sure? Because that's not the impression I got at all. You thought I did this, that I bought all this, and somehow, that didn't make you think 'Wow, how nice' or 'Whoa, this must have been expensive' or even 'hey, did you do all this?'—no, it was more like 'how dare you?', like I did something I didn't have the right to do!"

"Ok, wait. Let's dial it back a bit-"

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Dante. Maybe we should dial it back a bit! You know something? I told Carly last night that we hadn't exactly said what we were to each other and I mostly said that to deter her but we really haven't, have we? And I've been ok with that because I just wanted to be with you, but maybe I shouldn't have been. Maybe I should have pushed for clarity between us, because if you can react like this-"

"I made a mistake, Val. I jumped to conclusions and I shouldn't have-"

"Maybe you should have, though, if that's the way you feel! 'Come so far and no further, Val,' is that it? Tell me what we're doing here, Dante. Because I thought, mistakenly obviously, that we were closer to each other than this. What are you afraid of? Why did you react like that? What did you think I was trying to do, take Rocco over?"

"No, well, not exactly-"

"So that's it! You're afraid that I'm trying to become Rocco's mother, and your wife? Like I'm setting up house to trap you into something? Like I couldn't have trapped you the old-fashioned way if that's what I was after!"

Dante held up his hand to stop her tirade. "Wait a minute, please, ok? I was wrong, I'm admittin' that. I shouldn't have reacted that way. I'm not even sure why I did! Even if you had ordered the furniture, it woulda been a nice gesture and I know you would've only done it to make things better for Rocco. It's just-"

"Just what, Dante? What are we doing with each other-you still haven't answered me! I mean, I thought we were building something together but if all I am is your rebound, your interim person, the one you use to get over the last one before moving on to someone else once your wounds are all healed, I'm worth more than that-"

"Whoa, stop. Stop right there. That's not who you are, not even close. We are buildin' somethin'-"

"Are you sure? Maybe it's just about the sex-"

"Well it can't be about the sex because I haven't gotten any and I'm still here! I'm tellin' you I made a mistake, ok? I'm sorry. It has nothin' to do with thinkin' you're some kind of rebound, or thinkin' you're tryin' to trap me! I just thought you were askin' for somethin' I can't give right now. I want us, Val, but we've gotta get there! And we will, but it's gonna take time. I guess maybe I thought you were jumpin' the gun a little when we'd agreed to take things slow. I was wrong, I see that. Forgive me, please?"

She regarded him with a slightly sad expression on her face as she confessed, "I did something today, something I thought was a good thing, but now, in light of all this, I feel stupid, like I made a mistake. I can forgive you, that's not the issue. I just wish-"

"What did you do?" She shook her head and sighed before replying, "I don't know. I should probably think about it again. Maybe it was a good thing all this happened…" He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, saying, "I'd give anything to start this over. I'd very much like a redo. I'm sorry, Angel, I really am. I put that hurt look on your face and I'd give anything to erase it. Tell me what you did. I won't overreact, I promise. And the rest of it, we'll just figure out together, all right? It's ok. You can tell me." With another exhalation, she murmured, "It'd be easier if I showed you." Pulling away from him she reached into her pocket and pulled out the key she'd had made earlier in the day at the locksmith's shop. Going on, she revealed, "I missed you so much last night. I thought, I don't know, if you had your own key, you could come whenever you wanted to, whether I was here or not. If you wanted to have a soak in the spa tub, or watch the game on the big screen or if you just wanted a haven away from the loft. I wanted you to have this key, but I don't want you to feel or think I'm trying to trap you into something. I'm still all for taking things slow, too, I only thought—I wanted…" She turned away from him as she sighed again. Dante laughed in relief. It was going to be ok, after all, he thought. He coaxed her back into his arms and gently kissed her. Rocking her slightly, he whispered, "Thank you for the key. I know what you intended by offering it, and I'll accept it the same way. It's a very kind, thoughtful gift, Val. I love it." And I love you for thinking of it, he realized secretly, shocking himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	26. Chapter 26

*Mature Content Ahead*

Ch. 26

He was sitting at his desk when the call came in. "Falconeri here." "Yeah, Dante, this is Joe Stewart." It took him a minute to register the voice and then he realized he was speaking to the divorce mediator. "Hey, Joe, how's it going? What can I do for you?" "It's more like what I can do for you, like make your day…" He went on to tell Dante the reason for his phone call.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante was trying to concentrate on his work but he was distracted. The case notes and witness statements were one big blur because his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't feeling exactly celebratory—more like relieved, he guessed. That part of his life was over and the next chapter had yet to be written. He thought about Rocco, who was too young to understand anything. It was strange that none of his son's memories would involve his parents as a unit; for him, they would have always been divorced. Part of him regretted that. There was the future to look forward to, however. A future that now included Val. He smiled as he thought about being able to be with her, really be with her, and an idea began forming in his head. Realizing that he wasn't going to get any more work done, he decided to leave a bit early. He brushed past Val on his way out of the squad room and she asked him, "Where are you headed in such a hurry?" Not wanting to divulge his plans, he hurriedly replied, "Got an errand to run." "Wow, ok," she said with a little laugh, adding to the empty air, "I guess I'll see you later."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie stopped Jordan, who was also on her way out the door at the end of the shift, in the middle of the squad room. "Did you send Dante on some kind of special assignment?" "I didn't—why?" "He just jetted past me like he was on a mission. I thought maybe he was doing something for you." "No, not for me." Jordan approached the duty officer at the front desk. "Any idea where Falconeri was headed?" "He's gone for the day, Boss," she was told. She turned to Val, saying, "There you go." No sooner had she finished speaking when Val's phone began ringing with the ringtone she had reserved for Dante's number. "Dante-" she began to say but was quickly interrupted. "Val, I need you to do me a favor. I'd meant to go to Foster's Brewery and pick up a couple cases of their imported beer but I got hung up with something. Could you stop by for me and grab some?" "Foster's Brewery?" "Yeah." "On the other side of town Foster's Brewery?" "Yeah. If you could, I'd really appreciate it." "Sure, why not?" "Thanks—you're a lifesaver! I'll pay you back later." They disconnected and Jordan, frowning, asked, "He wants you to go all the way out to Foster's?" "Yeah." "In rush hour evening traffic?" "Looks like." "And you're going to go?" "Well, I told him I would…" Jordan laughed as she shook her head in amusement. "I guess. The things we do for love." Val gave her an admonishing glare. Throwing her hands up, Jordan replied innocently, "Hey, I'm just saying…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After Val had finished making the special trip for Dante, she called him to inquire, "Where exactly did you want me to take these? To the loft?" "Just take them to your place, ok? I'll get them from there."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Val arrived at the penthouse with beer in hand, she realized immediately that someone had been there before her. For one thing, the lamps in the living area were on their dimmest settings, and she knew that they had been off before she'd left for work. There were also candles of various sizes lit all over the room, something else she hadn't done. There were only two place settings on the dining table; the rest had been removed. Dante emerged from the kitchen and stopped short when he saw her. "Wow, you made good time," he told her, further saying, "I thought I had at least fifteen more minutes. Traffic must have been light." "I took a couple of side streets to avoid the bulk of it. Why? Did you need extra time for something?" "Yeah. That's why I sent you on that errand, to give me time to set all this up." He walked over to the table and poured a glass of wine which he then offered to her, saying, "I'll trade you," as he pointed to the bottles she had forgotten she was holding. He took the beer into the kitchen. When he returned to the dining area, Val was standing at the window in the living area, gazing down at the city lights. He picked up the stereo remote control and pushed a button, causing music to fill the air. She quickly recognized the theme song to Swan Lake and she turned from the window to beam at him in delight. "What is all this?" "This? This is my way of saying 'I appreciate you.' Of saying thank you for putting up with me through everything that's been going on." "Well, I appreciate you, too, and you're welcome. It looks like you went through an awful lot of trouble, though." "Aren't you worth it? I think you are. We're gonna eat, we'll talk, and see where the night takes us." Having said that, he guided her to the table where he pulled out the chair at the head of it and gestured for her to have a seat. She shook her head in bemused wonder as she sat down. He then went back to the kitchen from which he brought two plates. "Duck a l'Orange," he announced, setting the plates on the table. Disappearing once more, he brought a small basket of bread with pats of butter on the side to the table as well. He poured himself a glass of wine and then sat down next to her. "What should we drink to?" he wondered. "To an interesting evening, maybe?" "How about to an interesting evening full of new beginnings?" "That works, too," she answered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they enjoyed the duck and the accompanying side dishes, they talked together. Dante spoke of his plan to go the hospital again to see Nathan. He was still upset about the fact that it seemed his partner's assailant may have gotten away with attempted murder. He really wanted to catch whoever it was for Nathan's sake. They spoke of how Val was almost halfway through with her special project in the basement and how happy she would be to be finally finished. They bounced from subject to subject while the evening passed into night. Glancing down at her mostly empty plate, Dante asked her, "Did you enjoy the duck?" "Yes, I did. I'm kind of surprised, actually. The last time I had it, I didn't care for it. Maybe it depends on which restaurant makes it." "Restaurant? What makes you so sure it came from a restaurant? Couldn't I have made this fabulous meal?" "You could have, sure, but you didn't. Confess. Who delivered it?" "I actually picked it up from the Metro Court. I called it in earlier in the day, and they had it ready by the time I got there." "I told Carly her chef is a marvel—he delivered another hit." Dante rose from the table and walked around to Val's side. He stood there for a moment and then offered his hand to her. Helping her push back from the table, he walked her over to a part of the room between the dining and living areas. He pulled her into his arms and as they started slowly swaying back and forth, he remarked, "This music isn't exactly dance music, is it?" "Well, it is," Val responded, "just not the kind of dancing we're doing."

"What specifically is the attraction, then?"

"It's Tchaikovsky. It's classic. It's evocative. Of course it's better when you can see the ballet dances that go with each piece, but it's still beautiful music."

"I can't argue with you there." Holding her a bit tighter, he gently kissed her. She relaxed into his embrace, opening her mouth slightly to return his kiss. Deepening the contact, his tongue swept against hers as they fed on one another. A few moments later, he broke off the kiss, his lips moving from hers to her neck. When he realized her collar was impeding his progress, he began unbuttoning her blouse. Once he saw skin, he brushed his lips over her collarbone, across the tops of her breasts, back again to her neck. Val's head fell back and she moaned softly as Dante continued caressing her with his lips, his teeth, his tongue. He made his way down to her breast again, suckling her through the lace, and she cried out, saying, "Ooh, Dante, wait! The rules, remember! What about the rules?" "No more rules," he said in a low voice. "But hang on," she went on insistently, "I thought we'd agreed-"

Dante cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes to get her attention. "No more rules," he repeated emphatically, "because we don't need them anymore." He held her gaze to make sure she understood what he was saying and he could see when the connection was made. Her mouth falling open, she whispered, "No way—seriously? But when-"

"Later. Later," he murmured before resuming his previous activities. He dampened the lace of her bra as he started sucking and teasing her other nipple and then he drew back. "I have this fantasy," he began explaining, "where you're totally naked while I'm fully clothed, giving me the ability to run my hands all over your soft, silky skin." He finished unbuttoning her blouse and removed it from her body. His eyes almost glazed over when he unfastened her bra, exposing her breasts to his gaze. Reaching to her side, he unhooked her skirt and watched it fall down her hips to the floor. She stepped away from it and stood there in her nylons and panties, waiting. Licking his lips he told her, "You might want to remove those yourself—I don't trust myself not to rip or tear them." Inhaling slightly, she reached down and slid her hands under both and in one deliberate motion, she eased them unhurriedly down and off. Standing there they watched each other, both of them beginning to breathe more deeply. In one motion, Dante pulled one of the dining chairs away from the table and backed Val toward the table edge. His hands moved over her skin as he voraciously and repeatedly kissed her. She reached up to stroke his arms and when she encountered his shirt, she broke off the kiss to pant, "I know this is your fantasy, but you've got to give me something. Take this off," she demanded, yanking at his shirt. Acquiescing, he pulled the shirt over his head and she immediately ran her palms over his arms and chest. Leaning forward, she placed light, ghosting kisses all over the flesh she could reach—his neck, his chest, his nipples. He shuddered when he felt her hands move to his belt to loosen it. He groaned aloud when she reached into his khakis to grip him firmly. "I think we should both be naked, don't you?" she whispered into his ear as she continued stroking him.

"I can take the rest of this off but you're gonna have to let go first," he said, glancing down to watch the movement of her hand. With a mock pout, she released him and he quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothes. Standing there, they reacquainted themselves with one another's bodies. Dante rubbed the backs of his fingers against the sides of her breasts, saying softly, "This time I'm gonna memorize everything. I'm gonna remember everything." Lifting her chin with his finger he held her gaze and then leaned forward to whisper against her lips, "THIS is the time that counts. Last time was one thing, but this time is us havin' the right to be together." She opened her mouth to respond and he swooped in, capturing her lips in a heated embrace. Their fingers traced patterns over skin, sometimes softly, sometimes with more force. She responded to his gentle squeezing of her breasts by taking him in hand and firmly stroking him. When Dante had reached the end of his endurance he reached down to the floor, fumbling in his pants pocket for his wallet from which with slightly shaking hands, he took a condom. He gripped her waist and boosted her up onto the table before sheathing himself. Val's breathing became more rapid when Dante approached her, aligning their bodies. She gasped and winced as he entered her. They both froze as they adjusted to the sensation of finally being coupled. Val looked down to see where they were joined and then she caught his eye and they smiled at each other. Their smiles quickly faded when he began thrusting upward into her. She leaned back slightly to give him more room to move and he grunted his thanks as he started thrusting faster. "You're so tight, Val—just like I remembered." A low, intermittent keening began in her throat and chill bumps rose all over her body as Dante plunged into her again and again, pushing her towards a climax. With a stifled cry, she began coming and she gripped his arms to anchor herself, the contractions within her setting off a chain reaction in him. Not quite ready to join her, he quickly changed positions, lifting her off the table and dropping down with her in the closest dining chair, causing her breath to sob and hitch as she was further impaled on him. Grasping her waist, he raised and lowered her slightly up and down. He panted raggedly when she rocked her lower body against him and braced her feet fully against the floor for leverage. Bringing her down hard one last time, he convulsed with a harsh cry, the orgasm slamming through him, instantly enervating him. Val collapsed against him while being overtaken with small quakes as she tried to drag air into her straining lungs. They were momentarily exhausted, inhaling rapidly and exhaling roughly, holding tightly to each other as they waited for the shivers and tingles to subside. They regarded one another in wonder before Dante leaned forward slightly and kissed Val's nose softly. "Are you ok?" he rasped. "I'm better than ok, Dante. God. That was-" "Yeah, it was," he agreed though she hadn't completed her thought. "I'm so glad we waited. Waiting was hard, but I'm so glad we did it. Makes this-" They spoke at the same time-"More meaningful." "Just perfect." She laid her head back on his shoulder and they sat like that for a while before he said, "You know what?" "No, what?" "I want more." He stood up, telling her, "Keep your legs tight around my waist. I don't wanna pull out so I wanna see if I can make it up the stairs still inside you." She laughed, making him say sharply, "Don't laugh! I can feel it when you do. Just be still." Shaking her head she complied as he haltingly moved up the stairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Finally arriving at the bedroom, Val lifted her knees up as Dante turned and sat on the bed, still fully penetrating her. "I knew I could do it," he told her almost proudly. "It only took forever but yeah, you did," she laughed. "Hey, what matters is that I did it, not how long it took."

"And now that we're here, it's my turn for fantasies," she murmured as she pushed him down on to the bed.

"What'd you have in mind?"

"I want to taste every inch of your skin. Is that ok with you?" "Whatever you wanna do is fine with me," he replied with a grin, adding, "just let me get rid of-" She eased off of him and after disposing of the condom, he reached into the night stand on what he now considered his side of the bed. Retrieving the box of condoms he had secreted there, he shook it at her and with wiggling eyebrows queried, "How many of these do you think we'll go through tonight?" "Let's use them all!" she gleefully exclaimed.

"What?" Dante was in shock as his smile quickly disappeared. "Seriously?"

"No, silly! But the look on your face is priceless!" Chortling merrily, she poked fun at him, causing him to wrestle her down to the bed. Holding her there, he challenged, "Now what, Missy?" "Now you let me up because it's my turn to indulge my fantasy, remember?" Acknowledging the rightness of her statement, he obediently rolled onto his back with his arms outstretched. She straddled him and began a gentle assault on his ear with her tongue. Dante inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly—his ears were so sensitive and he tried not to move as she nibbled and bit down on his lobe. Moving to his neck, she deliberately slid her lips against him, lightly licking and sucking in turns. Hardening instantly, he grabbed a handful of the bed covers in each hand to stop himself from reaching out for her. He arched his neck slightly to give her better access and she took advantage by nipping him hard enough to leave a mark. Grunting softly, he gripped the covers even more tightly.

Val journeyed further down, down to his chest where she took her time kissing and suckling each nipple in turn. Her kisses vacillated between gentle and rough as she continued on, intensifying her attack on his torso. She breathed on the skin of his stomach once, twice, before proceeding downward. He could feel her breath hot against him and he couldn't keep himself from urging, "Please, Val. Please." "Please what, Dante?" she teasingly asked him. "Take-" Val had already taken him into her mouth so he didn't have time to finish his plea. Beginning gently, she drew on him while she firmly gripped him in her fisted hand. At turns nibbling and licking, she hummed lowly as she feasted on the sap his body was producing as a result of her ministrations. Just when she seemed to be backing off and moving away, he couldn't help but cry out loudly when she suddenly doubled her efforts, her lips drawing tighter as she rapidly moved up and down on him. "No, Angel, sweetheart, stop, please," he begged, gasping out, "I don't wanna come like this. I wanna be inside you. Please, baby—God!" Panting, he tried to stave off the orgasm that was threatening to overtake him. Frantically searching for the box of condoms he'd thrown on the bed, he let go of the covers long enough to reach in the box and pull one out. She helped him smooth it on and once that was done, she pressed the tip of him to her opening and eased him into her inch by inch until she was fully surrounding him. Leisurely at first she undulated against him, grinding down and rocking back and forth, moaning intermittently as her movements caused her to tremble. He was deep, so deep within her and she felt that fullness more intensely when he lifted his hips to meet hers. They raced together, spurring each other on to that cliff edge. Suddenly pulling her closer, he latched onto her nipple and sucked hard, groaning and bucking as he came. His actions pushed her over and she cried out, her womb contracting continuously. Rolling them to the side, he kept suckling, causing wave after wave to crash through her. She gripped his hair to anchor herself, her body jerking relentlessly in orgasmic spasms. "Ohh," she was finally able to gasp out, "I'm dead, I think. Dante, uhh-" She began trembling again and he held her tighter in response. Dante lifted her leg over his, placing his hand behind the small of her back to pull her even closer to him. Still buried inside her, he tenderly kissed her forehead and then her lips before sighing, "God, that was good, Val. So good." Involuntarily shaking from the sensation of skin against skin, their bodies finally began calming enough to allow them both to drift off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	27. Chapter 27

Ch. 27

Dante awoke suddenly when Valerie bolted upright in bed, saying, "Candles!" She looked wildly around the bedroom to get her bearings. "What?" he asked fuzzily. "The candles! We left them lit all night!" She began to climb out of bed when Dante stopped her by grabbing her arm. "It's ok, Val. I took care of that. Lay back down." "You took care of it? When?" "A few hours ago. I went downstairs and made sure they were all out. Cleared the table, too." "You did? How come I didn't hear you get up?" "Because you were still 'dead'. Come down here," he added, tugging her back down beside him, "and snuggle with me. We've only got a couple of hours before we have to get ready for work." He pulled her close and aligned his body with hers. Wrapping one arm around her, his other hand tangled in her hair, a position that was quickly becoming a favorite. He brushed kisses over her shoulder and back and then murmured languidly, "Go back to sleep, Angel." With a contented sigh, she complied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When next she stirred, Dante was already up and pulling clothes out of drawers to prepare for the day ahead. He gave her an affectionate smile when she sat up and glanced around the room with a slight frown on her face. "Looks like the dead do arise after all," he said, laughing. "Good morning to you, too," she responded, somewhat drowsily. She paused for a moment and then asked, "Did I say something to you earlier about candles, or was that a dream?"

"You weren't dreaming it. You came up from a stone sleep and that's the first thing you said. It always amazes me how you can do that. One second you're totally asleep and the next, you're talking."

"So it wasn't a dream, then. Good to know. And last night? That wasn't a dream, either, was it?" Dante came and sat at the end of the bed, holding her gaze as he softly murmured, "No, that wasn't a dream, either. If it would've been, it would've been the best type of dream to have, but it was real all right." She looked away as a pleased smile broke out on her face and then she crossed her arms over her head, falling backwards onto the bed. "I thought so. I'm sore in all the right places, so I thought it was real." Just as soon as she had fallen back, she sprung upright again. "But how?" she asked, adding, "You said you would tell me later…"

"Hmm. Long story short, Joe Stewart's kid got arrested on a criminal damage charge. He's not a bad kid, just stupid sometimes when he's with the wrong crowd of guys. I spoke up on his behalf in court, and then forgot about it. I guess Joe figured he owed me a favor, though. He talked to the Supreme Court judge ruling on the divorce case and asked him to rule earlier than he'd previously told me. Normally it can take the two to three months Joe told us it would take but it can be ruled on as early as six weeks, depending on the circumstances. So it got pushed through early. And that's it, really."

"I suppose it would be considered improper if I sent that judge a gift basket, huh?" "Just a bit, yeah. I think we can repay him by being happy and grateful." "I can manage that. I guess I should get up, shouldn't I?" "If you don't want to end up being late, you might want to do that. I'm gonna take a shower. Wanna join me?" "Just a shower, right? Because like you said, we're making good time now but if we take time for 'anything else,' we could end up being late for work." "I think I can restrain myself. I told you, my self-control is legendary." Having said that, he watched as she slid out of bed and walked ahead of him to the bathroom, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. His hands itched to touch her and he reconsidered how much time he might need after glancing at the clock in the bathroom. If he moved quickly, they could still be on time…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They took advantage of the huge shower's dual shower heads by each choosing a side and showering hastily. Dante took what he believed to be the fastest shower on record and after he finished rinsing the conditioner out of his hair, he turned to Val, who was twisting her hair to the side, gently wringing out the excess water. She flipped her hair behind her back and noticed Dante watching her. Slowly approaching her, he told her, "You know, I came in here with the best of intentions, I really did." He backed her up against the shower wall, further saying, "I really thought I could leave you alone this morning, but I guess my self-control is slipping after all." He began lightly licking beads of water from her neck and shoulder before dragging his lips over her skin. The touch of his lips made her body flood instantly in readiness but she had enough presence of mind to remind him, "You said we had just enough time to make it to work. Do we have time for this?" She firmly rubbed her hands over his chest, tweaking and fondling his nipples. "If I hurry, we'll have time. Umm," he uttered when she replaced her fingers with her tongue, "wrap your leg around my waist. Now. I'm gonna boost you up. Grab that bar above your head." As soon as she obeyed him, he lifted her and entered her fully, using the wall and his body as braces to hold her still. Giving her only a second to get used to the invasion, he started moving inside her. Thrusting rapidly upward, he began hammering her against the wall, his breath beginning to gust harshly in and out against her neck. Her head fell back against the shower wall and she tried to concentrate on retaining her hold on the shower bar with her wet hands. "Dante, oh God," she moaned, unconsciously lifting her other leg around his waist as she cried out, "I think I'm slipping!" "Hold on to the bar, Val! Don't let go!" He tightened his grip on her ass to smoothly reposition her without slowing down. "It's—I'm coming—oh, ohh, Dante! Don't stop, please! I'm, I'm right-" She went over the edge, her body milking his, squeezing him tightly, which sent him over as well. "Augh, ohh Val—damn," he gasped into her skin, further groaning, "Oh, that's perfect, just perfect. Ohh yes. That's what I needed." Val released the bar above her head to wrap her arms around Dante, peppering his face with butterfly kisses before finding his mouth with hers. She bucked and sighed into his mouth while her body rocked with aftershocks. He spun around to lean against the wall and she gradually lowered her legs to the shower floor. Her body released his and he pulled her in to hold her firmly, still trying to catch his breath. Her head fell against his shoulder and she rested there, panting heavily. "I think," he eventually muttered, "that we're gonna be late, anyway." "I think you're right," she whispered, "and I should care about that but for some reason, I don't." "I'm sorry. I thought I could leave you alone but I saw you standing there—all that bare skin—and I just couldn't." "It's ok, Dante." She shivered suddenly, causing him to say, "We're gonna turn into prunes if we stay in here much longer." He reached out to turn the faucets off and then guided her out of the shower, wrapping her in a warm towel to dry her. "That has to be one of the best ways to start a morning," she stated while he patted her all over, gradually warming her. "Glad I could oblige," he smirked, adding, "Glad you let me oblige."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie went straight to the PCPD but Dante went to see his partner in the hospital before going to work. Nathan was awake and dressed, putting the few things Maxie had brought him from home into a small case. He looked up and smiled when he saw Dante. "No need to ask you how you are," Dante told him, "it seems like you're getting sprung early." "Yeah. The doctor told me he would release me today but he hasn't been by yet. I'm too ready to get out of here! Not that the care hasn't been excellent, but I'm anxious to get out of this room and get back to action. I felt like if I stayed here one more day, I was going to turn to stone!" "I don't know what 'action' you think you're returning to," Dante reminded him, "Since the boss said you'd be riding a desk for the foreseeable future." Nathan's face fell when he remembered what Jordan had told him. "Yeah, I did forget about that, I guess."

"Hey, a desk is better than nothing at all. You can still be involved in the case to find whoever did this, just from the sidelines."

"True." He gazed at Dante, frowning and then stated, "You look different."

"Get out of here."

"No, I'm serious. You look—lighter, somehow. What's new?"

"You're cracked, that's all."

"I'm a trained observer, that's all. Come on, give. What's the deal?"

"The divorce came through. Got the call yesterday." Nathan narrowed his eyes and glanced away from his partner for a moment before catching his eye again. "I'm not sure what to say. I suppose I should congratulate you, but honestly, I was holding out hope that you and Lulu would work all this out. Are you happy?"

"I'm relieved—is that the same thing?"

"Close enough, I guess. What did Val have to say when you told her?" Dante evasively turned away but not before Nathan saw the beginnings of a quickly quashed grin as Dante mentally reviewed last night's and this morning's events. "I see," Nathan said, nodding his head, huffing out a short laugh and then going on, "Well, if you're 'relieved' then I should be relieved for you."

"Thanks, man." They heard a voice in the hallway and looked at one another in a sudden panic. "Maxie!" they exclaimed simultaneously, Dante adding a wince. He wasn't sure he was ready to deal with her this early in the day. Bouncing into the room, Maxie announced in her usual high-energy way, "Sweetie! I brought something for you-" She skidded to a halt and her eyes widened when she saw Dante standing there. "Dante! What're you doing here!" Pointing at Nathan with his thumb, Dante answered, "He's my partner, Maxie. Why wouldn't I be here?" In a hushed whisper she growled, "Lulu is outside! She came with me to help get Nathan home! You're not on her list of favorite people right now, and I don't want her to see you!"

"Well Maxie, I do have special skills but even I can't disappear into thin air. I don't know what to tell you," he shrugged. Lulu poked her head around the corner asking, "Nathan, are you decent? I'm coming in, so whatever you two are doing, stop." She came into the room and stopped short when she saw Dante, saying, "Ok, now it make sense. I was wondering why you were keeping me out in the hallway, Maxie. We're all enlightened adults, though, aren't we? I'm sure Dante and I can be in the same room without causing World War Three, can't we? How are you, Dante?" she pleasantly inquired.

"I'm good, Lulu. How are you?"

"I'm fine. See there? No bloodshed. I assume you already heard from your lawyer friend, huh? I say 'friend' because you must be close, seeing as to how he was able to make the divorce go through faster than the length of time he originally told us it would take. But when you've got a highly motivated client who's also a friend, you do what you can."

Deciding not to take the bait, Dante simply said, "Sometimes things just work out, that's all. Nathan, I'll see you at work if I don't see you before then. Glad you're getting out of here." He started to exit the room and then turned back to address Lulu, "I assume we're still on track for me to get Rocco for the weekend?"

"That's what we agreed on."

"Cool. See you later, Maxie," he added before making his escape. As he began walking down the hallway he heard, "See what I mean? It's like he's a different person…" He shrugged off the comment, not letting it disturb him. He was a different person. He resolved not to allow that to be a bad thing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie was creating a PowerPoint slideshow for a presentation Jordan was making to the city council when Jordan came up behind her and looked over her shoulder to check on her progress. "How's it coming?" she asked. "I'm almost done," Val responded, further saying, "You'll probably need to go over it again before presenting it to make sure everything you wanted added is there. It's crazy that you have to jump through all these hoops to justify paying for extra forces on the streets, isn't it?"

"It's all about money, Val. Unfortunately, while things like extra manpower are necessary, the ability to pay for it doesn't come out of thin air. If I can prove that the funds have been allocated wisely, maybe next time, I won't have to jump through so many hoops." She fell silent again as she watched Val work and then mentioned, "I haven't seen Falconeri all day. He went into the field early." She deliberately left the last bit of her statement as an open-ended question and distracted, Val fell for the tactic, answering, "He had to go see Nathan this morning. And he had a sudden idea where he might find that Scribbs character to question him about Nathan's stabbing. He'll probably be out for a while." "What's he gonna have for lunch?"

"Huh?"

"Well you seem to know so much, so I thought you might have made lunch plans for him as well. When did you become his admin?"

"I'm not his admin but of course we talked this morning-"

"Among other things, I'll bet, which is probably why you were late this morning, right?" Valerie pushed back from her desk, giving Jordan her full attention. "It sounds like you're trying to ask me something. Don't hold back, go ahead and ask."

"I thought you two were going to take things easy at least until he got the divorce. He's got you making booze runs at night, knowing his itinerary during the day—I don't know. It doesn't sound like you're easing into all this, that's all. More like full steam ahead."

"We said we'd take things slow, and we are—we have been. But things just might change, now that he's gotten his divorce and all," she remarked with a straight face, returning her attention to the computer screen. There was a pause while Jordan processed Val's comment and when she finally realized what Val had said, she exclaimed, "What?" Every head in the squad room lifted to see where the trouble was, bodies ready to spring into action if necessary. Quickly looking around the room, Jordan muttered, "My office." Rising obediently, Val followed her boss.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ok, girl. Spill. What do you mean, he's already divorced? I thought he told you two to three months?"

"That's what he thought, too, but he found out yesterday that it got pushed through, thanks to a favor he did for the mediator. The judge agreed to rule earlier, and Dante is now a free man. Well," she added cheekily, "free of his marriage, anyway." She giggled and waggled her eyebrows at her friend.

"Look at you, being all bold and everything! But seriously," she said, sobering up, "what does this mean for any chance of a relationship with your cousin? You know, the one you came here to get to know?"

"Being realistic, there was never really a chance for any kind of relationship with Lulu. She told me the truth of her heart when she reamed me out in Jake's. She never wanted me here. Even before everything with Dante, she didn't want me here. I felt it, and so did Dante. That's why he was so attentive at first, to make up for the fact that she wasn't exactly hiding her dislike of me. So there's that. Plus, she's not the only family I have here. I didn't get a chance to tell you about the family dinner, did I?"

"Family dinner?"

"Yep. Carly and Sonny hosted a dinner in my honor at Sonny's place. I met Carly's kids, finally. Sonny's father Mike is in town, so I met him, too. It was a real event and everybody was very welcoming. I'm figuring that I'll be just fine without my cousin Lulu."

"Was T.J. there, too?"

"I think he was off with Molly someplace because I didn't see him, and he never showed up while I was there."

"Hmm. I'll deal with that later," she mumbled. Aloud Jordan asked Val, "So what does all this mean for your relationship?"

"I gave him a key."

"What?"

"To the penthouse. I gave him a key. He spends most of his nights with me anyway—he only goes to the loft to get changes of clothes or if he has Rocco. But since Sonny had baby furniture delivered to the house, Rocco can stay there, too, eventually." Jordan clasped her hands against her head as if to hold in all the information coming at her. "Key? Baby furniture? Wow—I'm just—mind boggled. And wondering maybe what exactly you think you're doing…"

Valerie cocked her head as she looked at Jordan with a smile. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing either, but if I'm forced to explain it, I think I'm falling in love."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	28. Chapter 28

Ch. 28

While Valerie was amusing herself by teasing her boss, Dante was finding himself in the middle of what was turning out to be a very frustrating day. First there was the encounter with Lulu earlier that morning, which could have been worse, he supposed. He was still remembering her comment as he left Nathan's hospital room about how he wasn't the same person. He was trying to remain unfazed by it but it had rankled a bit, if he was honest. What exactly did that mean, anyway? As if she herself hadn't changed? Whatever. Then there was what was turning out to be a fruitless search for Scribbs. Dante pounded the pavement while visiting the various places he thought the panhandler might be hiding out. Everywhere he went, the story was similar—"Haven't seen 'im." "Scribbs's in the wind." "'f I knew, I wouldn't tell you, cop."—and so on. Feeling like the day was a waste, Dante decided to try one more place before packing it in. He made his way to the pier down by Warehouse Row on Van Nyss. There he got some information from one of Scribbs' cronies. "Have you seen or heard from Scribbs lately?" he asked wearily, not really expecting an answer after the day he'd had. "Scribbs? Don't think he's here. Think he went to Jersey." Dante's interest was pricked as he responded, "Jersey? New Jersey, or Jersey City?" "I look like his secretary or somethin'? Dunno, Jersey somewhere. Think he's got kids there or somethin'." "I'll check that out. Thanks. If it pans out, there might be something in it for you. If he does show up here, let him know he's not in trouble but we're looking to talk to him." He left the man his card. As leads went, it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Armed with this potential new line of inquiry, Dante returned to the station. He was just settling in at his desk to look up some numbers for precincts in New Jersey when Jordan approached him. "Ahh, Falconeri, there you are. I need to talk to you. Come into my office for a minute, would you?" "Great," he thought in annoyance, "another lecture about who knows what." He followed her into her office and took the chair across from her desk before she could ask him to have a seat. Thinking he was about to hear another lecture about Valerie, he was surprised by Jordan's next words. "What do you think of Hill?" she wondered, getting right to the point. "Hill? Randy Hill?" "Yeah. As a cop, what do you think of him?" "He seems squared away enough. A little green, maybe, but for a newer officer, I guess he makes the grade." "That's good to hear. Because while your partner is riding a desk, I want Hill to shadow you." Dante sat there processing Jordan's words. "You want me to ride with Hill?" he asked in dismay, adding, "Ah, no, Commish, why?"

"He needs some seasoning, like you said. I think it would be good for him to spend some time with you. He told me one of his goals is to make Detective. Show him the ropes, give him some tips. Let him work Nathan's stabbing with you, for instance."

"But honestly, why me? Wouldn't Johnson or one of the other detectives-"

"Is there a problem, Falconeri? I thought you said Hill was squared away. You trying to tell me you can't work with him?" Dante knew that was the last thing she wanted to hear. "No, Boss. I don't know if it's a good fit, temperament-wise, that's all." "And you won't know until you ride together. Anyway, I all but told him it was a done deal, so tomorrow morning, bright and early, expect a temporary partner."

"If it was already a done deal, why ask me if I'd do it?"

"Is that what you thought I was doing? I was just asking for your impression of him as a cop. I wasn't aware that I needed your permission before making an assignment, which is probably why I didn't ask you beforehand. It's not permanent, remember—just until West is cleared to return to the streets. Any other questions?"

"No, Boss. None at all."

"Good. Well, that's all I really wanted, so…" The implication being clear, Dante got up and left Jordan's office. To say he was even more irritated than he had previously been was understating the case. Getting saddled with Hill? If he was honest, it wasn't that Hill was a bad guy but ever since he had seen him and Val dancing at Jake's, his feelings toward him had soured. Especially after that crack he'd made about seeing how loose she could get. In fairness, Val had obviously been the one making all the moves that night, but feelings weren't always rational. And now he was going to be stuck for who knew how many hours a day in a car with this guy?

Dante returned to his desk and because he wasn't frustrated enough, Randy walked up to him and just stood there, a big goofy grin on his face as he remarked, "So Falconeri, I hear you and I are gonna be partners. Looking forward to riding with you." Before he could stop himself, Dante reminded him, "It's only until West is cleared to return to full duty—don't get too excited." He could have kicked himself for showing Randy how annoyed he was with the situation. "Well, for however long it is, I'm sure I'll benefit from your knowledge and experience." Dante watched Randy bouncing merrily away down the hall, and he shook his head. The universe was definitely paying him back for something… In the middle of his musings, Bill Johnson bulldozed into the squad room, making a beeline for Dante when he saw him sitting at his desk. "Heard you pulled babysittin' duties, Falconeri. Make sure you've got plenty o' Pampers and formula so you can take proper care of your newb." Laughing at his own wittiness, Johnson made his way to his own desk. Thoroughly disgusted, Dante rolled his eyes and then went back to doing what he had tried to do before being interrupted by Jordan. After placing the appropriate calls and sending faxes of Scribbs' latest picture and description to the different departments scattered throughout New Jersey, Dante decided to call it a day. If he was going to be expected to tolerate Hill for the foreseeable future, he was going to need plenty of time to decompress.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He finally saw Val for the first time since the morning when she emerged from the basement and returned to the squad room to get her purse and other belongings from her desk. She smiled when she saw him, which made him feel a bit better about the rotten day he had had thus far. "Are you leaving for the night, Dante?" she asked for the benefit of anyone in the room who might have been listening. "Yeah, that's the plan," he answered with a smile of his own. "Mind if I walk out with you?" "Not a bit—come on." She announced her 'good nights' to the officers and admins still left in the station and then they left together. "Do you really think we're fooling anyone?" he queried. "About what exactly? It was a total coincidence that we happened to be leaving at the same time—I certainly didn't plan it. Did you?" "Not really, no," he responded, adding, "I haven't seen you all day—I thought you were already gone for the night." "Well, there you go." She hesitated for a moment. "Did you plan on coming by?"

"You want me to? I've had a pretty crappy day," he said, going on to say, "I don't know if I'd be good company right now."

"Come anyway."

"Ok. I need to stop by the loft for a while, check the mail, and do some other stuff. See you in an hour or so?"

"Perfect," she told him with a slightly mysterious smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was entering the penthouse after having used his key when he saw Valerie descending the stairs. Her face broke out in a huge grin when she saw him, which he noticed. "What're you so happy about," he wondered aloud. "I like seeing you use your key, that's all." "Makes it seem like you belong here," she thought inwardly.

"Oh," he said as he headed for the couch, "It's nice to have one to use. Makes me feel like I'm always welcome." He started to sit down, saying, "All I want to do right now is take a load off-"

"Don't!" she loudly interjected causing him to jump. "Sorry," she sheepishly apologized, "But if you're so tired that you only want to sit down, you won't want to get up later on. I have a plan of my own. Come with me." She held her hand out to him. "Val-" "Don't worry," she told him, "what I have in mind requires minimal effort on your part. Come on." She shook her hand at him and he finally reached back. She led him up the stairs to the dimly lit master bathroom. A few votive candles were lit to add a soft scent to the air. The spa tub was full of warm water, and Dante looked at Val in puzzlement. "What's all this?"

"This is something I like to call 'Dante's Time.' Lift your arms." Once he had complied, she removed his shirt from his body. Noticing that he still had his shoes on, she told him he would need to take them off in order for her to remove his pants. He toed his shoes off and she got to work loosening his belt. He couldn't help his body's response to her sliding his pants down his legs and he lifted first one leg and then the other to assist her. When she stripped his underwear from him, he sprang out at her, his body at full readiness. Archly she gazed up at him and he returned her look with a somewhat self-conscious one of his own. "You can't undress me and not expect this to happen," he told her, "so what do you intend to do about what you've done?"

Returning his smile she replied, "Only this," and then, leaning forward, she kissed him. She held him in her hand as she went on to explain, "I'm very regretful, Sir, that I upset you; however, this kiss is all you're getting." She straightened up and gave Dante a look that said "And?" He disbelievingly asked, "That's it? You're really leaving me hanging, literally?" "Yep. This isn't about sex, it's about you being able to relax." "If you really want me to relax-"

"Dante!" She pointed at the tub, further saying, "Get in." "Yes, Ma'am." "Is the water too hot?" "A bit, but it's ok. It feels good. No mood music?" "No, something better than that." She picked up the remote control and the split mural above the tub began sliding back to reveal a flat screen television. He laughed and shook his head as he leaned back in the tub. Leave it to Sonny… Turning on the tv, she flipped through the channels until she found ESPN SportsCenter. "There you go," she announced with a grin. The look he gave her was full of amazement as he said, "You are an Angel sent from above." "I know this," she smirked. She pointed to the corner of the tub's ledge and sitting there was an ice bucket with three of his imported beers cooling in it, which he hadn't noticed was there. "Not saying you have to drink all three but I thought I'd at least have that many on standby." "You rock. That's all—you just rock. Thanks for this, Val, really."

"You're welcome." She reached down and turned on the jets and the water gently swirled around him. "Of course you can adjust the jets to whatever you want but this is the most soothing setting. I want you to chill out, let the day go, and empty your mind. It's time to reset and regroup."

"You know, I could do that even if you joined me."

"Not as effectively, I don't think. Definitely next time, but this is for you. Don't come out until you're almost boneless, ok?" With a kiss on his forehead and a wink for good measure, she left the room and closed the door. Feeling pampered, he couldn't stop the big grin from forming on his face. He couldn't remember if anyone had ever done something like this for him before. To be fair, the loft didn't have a spa tub but he really couldn't think of anyone he'd been with in the past having done anything similar. He slid under the water for a few seconds and then after coming up and scooping his wet hair out of his face, he cracked open a beer and settled back to watch SportsCenter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was quite some time later when Dante emerged from the bathroom wearing the robe Val had left hanging on the back of the door. She was sitting up in the bed watching a Lifetime movie and after plopping down beside her, he looked up at the screen and then back at her. "Is this a chick flick?" "Sure is. Join me. Oh, and I've got snacks," she added, pointing to the tray of mini sandwiches and fruit. He got up and grabbed a plate full and then rejoined her in the bed. "Do you really expect me to watch a chick flick?" "Um, I watched the Yankees with you, the least you can do is watch the rest of this movie with me." Resigning himself, he ate the rest of his food, set the empty plate on the bedside table, and then slid down beside her. He motioned to her as he opened his arms and she scooted over to him. He hugged her tightly and whispered huskily, "I don't know how to thank you enough—you always seem to know what I need. I do feel better." "I'm glad. Why did your day suck so badly anyway?" "I don't want to talk about it when you're trying to watch your show." "I'm a multi-tasker—I can do both." He told her about his fruitless search for Scribbs and his frustration as he went from place to place throughout the day. He mentioned the one tip he had gotten and expressed his hope that it would lead somewhere, but he was doubtful. "This is what I don't get," he explained further, "Scribbs is a panhandler. He's got no real money, so how does he just up and go to Jersey? I know it's not exactly the other side of the world, but how'd he get there? With what funds?" "Well, he's a panhandler, so he might have a little saved up…" Dante looked at Val doubtfully and she went on, "Or probably, someone gave him money to leave town. Most likely whoever put him up to getting Nathan to the mill." "So you see that, too? Poor Nathan. He really liked and trusted Scribbs." "I'm sure it wasn't personal, Dante." "Wasn't personal?" He reached out and turned her face to his, asking, "How can you say it wasn't personal? If he's involved in this, he betrayed a friend." "I doubt Scribbs saw things that way," she asserted.

"How else could he see things?"

"Look, let's be honest here. Scribbs is a source. He and Nathan have a mutually beneficial relationship. Nathan gets information, and every now and then, Scribbs gets a few dollars. Maybe some relief from being rousted by the cops when he works his corner. I wouldn't classify that as friendship, and I doubt that's how Scribbs saw it, either. On the streets, survival is the name of the game. If someone came to you and offered you, I don't know, five hundred or maybe a thousand dollars to lure someone to a certain place—more money than you'd had in forever, mind you—don't you think you'd be tempted if you were basically living on the streets? Especially if you were told no one would hurt him, just maybe scare him a bit. I'll bet that's what happened. And once Scribbs realized what the intent really was, he got scared himself and took off. Or whoever paid him told him to disappear." Dante laughed incredulously. "Check you out—all that deductive reasoning. Hanging out with a cop is sharpening your skills." She frowned up at him. "It could be that, I suppose. Or it could be that handy-dandy criminology degree I managed to get." "Well, there is that. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, by the way. It helps, being able to talk things out with you. Whenever I think of who had a motive for wanting Nathan out of the way, I keep coming back to Joey Robbs. He felt like Nathan was nosing around his business too much, and he wanted it stopped. He's not a killer, though."

"Are you sure? Nobody's a killer until they kill for the first time."

"You're right. It wasn't Joey and it wasn't Scribbs who actually stabbed Nathan, but I'll work the Joey Robbs angle anyway, see what shakes out. Thanks for this."

"For what?"

"The night ended so much better than I thought it would. I'm rejuvenated, my brain is working again, and I've got a different avenue for my investigation, all due to you."

"You're welcome."

"Now that we've worked all that out, let's finish watching your chick flick. It's not as bad as I thought it would be."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	29. Chapter 29

Ch. 29

It was the end of another workday when Val approached Dante's desk, looked around the room to see who might have been watching them and then leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "Let's go have some fun tonight." He turned in his chair and gazed up at her with a smile, asking, "By fun, you mean what, exactly?" "I heard there's a place that's re-opening tonight—maybe you've heard of it? The Outback, I think it's called. From what I heard around the office today, the owner of the restaurant used to work here. I thought it would be fun to check it out."

"The owner used to work here? Oh, you must mean Mac, then. Yeah, he used to be my old boss. I haven't seen him in a while, though. I didn't know he was trying to re-open The Outback. We can go, see what he's doing there—why not?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If current numbers were anything to go by, the grand re-opening of the restaurant was going to be a huge success. The restaurant was packed with several of Port Charles' citizens out to support Mac in his latest venture. Without really planning it, Dante and Valerie matched in black on black with a splash of gold and they knew they painted quite a picture as they entered the supper club dressed to the nines. Mac was on hand to greet each visitor at the door while Felicia worked the room, welcoming each guest and accepting well-wishes. Dante glanced around the room and nodded before extending his hand to Mac, remarking, "Wow, Mac, full house, huh? This place looks great!" Reaching out to return the handshake, Mac answered, "Hey, Dante, good to see you! Thanks. I tried to recapture the old feel of the place while making it new at the same time. I think I hit all the marks." Mac included Val in his comments with a slight smile that was half frown. Dante took the hint. "Mac, this is Valerie Spencer. Val, this is Mac Scorpio, proud owner of this establishment and my ex-boss." "Glad to meet you, Valerie," Mac said, wondering further, "Spencer? As in…" "I'm glad to have met you as well, Mac. And yes, I'm one of 'those' Spencers. My mother was Luke's and Bobbie's older sister." "Was?" he gently inquired. "Yeah," Val softly replied, "Was. I lost her recently." "Oh, yes, I remember hearing something about that, now that I think about it. Around the time Luke-"

"Went off the rails a bit? Yes, it was around that time."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Val. I hope being here with family is bringing you some comfort, though." Val unknowingly smiled in Dante's direction and then she addressed Mac, "Little by little. I still miss her but being here helps. Most of my family has been great." Mac gestured to one of the waiters and called him over, saying, "Why don't you show Valerie here to a table? I wanted to talk to Dante for a minute, Val, if you don't mind?"

"No, go right ahead—I'll just wait at the table and enjoy the ambience. It really does look great, Mac. Good luck with it all. And it was nice to have met you."

"Thanks, Valerie. And same here." Val followed the waiter to a table and ordered a red wine while she perused the menu and waited for Dante.

Mac frowned at Dante before asking, "Is this what Maxie was trying in her excitable way to tell me? I know I've been out of the loop for a while but what happened between you and Lulu?"

"Why? What did Maxie tell you?"

"Just that you were a world-class jerk and your name was no longer to be mentioned in her presence. She actually said it like that but she wouldn't elaborate."

Dante sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and then explained, "It was just one of those things, Mac. Something that started with a lie and ended with anger and distrust. Lulu and I are over. Our divorce was made final a couple of days ago."

"I'm sorry—I know how tough that can be. But if Valerie is a Spencer, doesn't that mean that she's-"

"Lulu's cousin? Yeah, that's what it means, all right. Look, Mac, we didn't plan it, it was just something that happened. And for now, we've decided to go with it, that's all."

"Hey, no judgement from me. If you're happy, I'm happy for you. How are things otherwise? How is the PCPD getting along without me?"

"Jordan's a good boss, but your influence is still missed in the department. You sure ordering wine cases and silverware is your destiny? Don't you miss the buzz, the excitement of the streets?" Mac thoughtfully cocked his head as he thought about Dante's question. Finally he agreed, "Yeah, there are things about it that I do miss. There are moments when I think about returning to it. Then I think about people like your father, no offense, and I'm glad to be away from it. And I'll get enough action here, I hope." Their glances hovered over and throughout the room and then Mac said, "I think I made the right choice."

"Well, I wish you luck with it and I hope it works out the way you want it to." "Thanks, Dante. Go join your date before she thinks you've forgotten her. It was good to see you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After having found Val, Dante sat down at the table and they ordered their meal. While they waited, they chatted together. "I'm glad you suggested we come here, Val. It was good to see Mac again." He watched as Mac greeted some other patrons at the door before showing them to one of the last empty tables. "It's strange to see him here but he seems to be in his element."

"It looks like everyone who is anyone is in here tonight. I think your friend is hitting all the right notes. Of course the food will tell the tale but the atmosphere is good, the music is varied enough to appeal to differing ages, and it strikes the right balance between intimate and crowd-friendly." She nodded as she admired the room once again, remarking, "I like it."

Laughing, Dante said, "He'll have to get you to write a review for him. But I think you're right. It's a nice place—just hard to imagine it being a good fit for Mac." Their meals finally arrived at the table and they tucked in with appreciation. In the middle of their meal, Mac and Felicia, on the small stage toward the back of the restaurant, called for everyone's attention. Addressing the crowd, Mac thanked his patrons, saying, "Felicia and I want to thank you all for coming out to the grand re-opening of The Outback. We had been planning to re-open it for a while and we've worked hard to return it to its previous glory. I think we've succeeded, don't you?" The appreciative claps, wolf-whistles and shouts gave them their answer, and they smiled at one another before Felicia went on, "We wanted a place where memories could be made and remade, a place that reminded us all of the goodness of the past but still lets us look forward to the future. Thank you all for sharing this night with us. Enjoy yourselves, and come again often!" They came down from the stage to applause and milled among their customers and friends, accepting more well-wishes and remembrances from patrons who recalled The Outback of old.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante had paid the bill and he and Val were preparing to leave when he heard Val's muttered, "Oh boy." He tried to see what had caught her attention when he saw them at a table near the front of the exit; Lulu and Dillon were sitting with Maxie and Nathan. "Should we try to avoid them?" she asked. "No, why should we? Plus, Nathan is my partner and I'm glad to see him out back on his feet. C'mon," he said decidedly, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward, "Let's go say 'hello.'" As they neared the table, Nathan saw them first and a grin of greeting came across his face. He rose to his feet and extended his hand to shake Dante's. "Hey, man, we didn't know you guys were here," Nathan said. "Hey yourself," Dante responded, adding, "It's good to see you out of that hospital and getting around. You look good."

"I told you, it's because I take such good care of my assets. It feels great to be able to do anything outside that bed! We wanted to mark my getting out of the hospital and Mac's grand re-opening gave us another reason to celebrate."

Val seconded Dante's greeting, noting, "You really do look well. When are you coming back to work?" "Bright and early Monday morning," Nathan answered, "But I'm on desk duty for the next few weeks. Not looking forward to that, but it beats nothing at all." They were all suddenly silent as they reflected on how close Nathan had come to 'nothing at all.' Finally, Dante addressed the table, saying, "Well, we didn't mean to interrupt your evening—we just stopped to say 'hi'. Maxie, I think your dad's on to something, here. You must be very proud of him."

"Yeah, I am. And he's happy, which makes me happy. I'm glad he found something after the PCPD that he could be passionate about." Silence fell once again, prompting Dante to say, "Well, enjoy your evening. Nathan, looking forward to seeing you on Monday. We'll have to talk…" He and Val nodded to Lulu and Dillon and Dillon nodded back while Lulu gave them a tight grimace that she probably meant to pass for a smile. After exiting the restaurant, Val let out a huge sigh of relief. "That was uncomfortable."

"A bit, but hey," he responded while lifting up her arms as if examining her for signs of trauma, "I don't see any blood or gouges. No nasty words exchanged, no blows given or dodged. I'd say that was a successful encounter. Let's go ho-" he stopped himself before completing his sentence.

Grinning widely, Val gave him an arch look and then she shook his arm as she repeated, "Yes, let's go home." He threw his arm around her and she put her head on his shoulder as they walked to his car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Deciding to take her lunch break in the park the next day, Val sat on a bench and enjoyed the coolness of the weather while munching contentedly on a California roll. She was mentally reviewing the tasks she needed to complete after returning to work when she realized she was no longer alone. Looking up, her eyes widened briefly when she saw Lulu standing there staring at her. Adopting a casual air, she leaned back against the bench and crossed her arms and legs, saying, "Lulu, hello. I didn't see you there. How are you?" Lulu walked up to the bench and sat down as she responded, "I'm fine, Cousin. How are you? You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

"I don't own the bench or the park—sit wherever you like." They sat in silence for a moment and Val began gently swinging her foot back and forth as she waited for whatever Lulu had approached her to say. "So, The Outback, huh? Nice place, didn't you think?" Lulu finally asked.

"I did think so, yes. It seems as though Mac hit a home run with it, if last night was anything to go by. Good crowd."

"Yeah, a nice crowd. Lots of Port Charles' finest citizens out last night to help Mac and Felicia celebrate. It looked like a night for celebrating all around, everyone for Mac and Felicia, our group with Nathan… And you and Dante? What were you two celebrating, as if I didn't know?"

"Not really sure what you're talking about, Lulu. I heard some of the guys at work talking about how their former boss was opening a restaurant and I mentioned it to Dante. He was curious, so we thought we'd check it out."

"We, we, we. You two are a 'we' now, huh? I guess that was pretty obvious to anyone who was there, though, the way you were holding hands and all. You know, you made out very well for yourself, coming here, didn't you? Once you got the 'lay of the land' so to speak…" Val looked thoughtfully at Lulu and then asked, "Did I? I mean, I lost my mother, so I don't know how 'well' that went for me. Still, I guess in a way you're right. I lost her but I did get more family and friends. You would probably find that a good trade off. I do miss her, but I'm grateful for what I've gained."

"As you should be. Considering you were only asked to come here out of pity, you made out like a fat rat." Unable to stop herself, Val laughed delightedly, saying, "You DO have a way with words, Cousin! It's a bit comical, really. A while ago, what you said would have hurt me deeply, and did, as I recall, but now, I can see the bitterness behind it. I realize you need to release the venom in order to be whole again, so go ahead, say what you need to say."

"Wow, how gracious of you, Val! You come here and wreck my life and then offer the solution to heal me. How truly 'Florence Nightingale' of you! Thank you so much!"

"'Wrecked your life'? You're still holding on to that chestnut? Whatever you need to believe, I guess. Honestly speaking, though? If what you had was so solid, nothing I could have done or said could have 'wrecked' it. And I suppose you still can't quite admit that if you hadn't lied, if you'd only told the truth, we'd be having a totally different conversation right now. That's gotta be galling for you. You need to blame me—so be it, but deep down, down in places you'd rather not acknowledge, you know you set all this in motion." She huffed out another short laugh and then nodded. "Yeah, that's gotta hurt."

"You would have thought after the part you played in the death of my marriage, though, whether or not I 'set things in motion' as you seem to believe, you would have done the decent thing and left town. You were invited here out of the goodness of our hearts and you turned into a wrecking ball, destroying everything in your path. I can't believe you're feeling smug about that."

"I'm sorry—I do have to watch that 'smugness' thing; it gets away from me sometimes. At this point, it doesn't really matter why I came here. I'm here to get to know my family, which I'm doing."

"Even though you're not really welcome here? Even though everyone is just tolerating you?"

"Not welcomed by whom? You? Maxie? Who is just tolerating me? News flash, Lulu. You are about the only Spencer who is bothered by my staying in Port Charles. Everyone else has been very welcoming and they're glad I'm here, if the family dinner was any indication."

"What family dinner?"

"Oh, no one told you about the family dinner? Carly and Sonny, well, Sonny really, to be fair, threw a dinner to welcome me to the family. I finally got a chance to meet my cousins, Carly's kids. We had a great time. Oh, and Mike was quite gracious, too—not to mention a mean cook! He and Sonny had a cook-off and the results were fabulous."

"Mike? You mean Sonny's father, Mike?"

"No one told you he was in town? Yeah, Dante's grandfather, Mike. I'm kind of surprised by that—he said he was trying to reach out to Spencer but was having a hard time getting a hold of Nikolas. You might want to pass that on to your brother. Spencer's grandfather would like to see him before he goes back to New Mexico."

"I'm not your secretary, Val, to be carrying messages back and forth to my brother."

"It wouldn't be on my behalf, Lulu, it would be on Mike's, but suit yourself. He's a very kind man, very wise, too. I liked him. I'd say we liked each other. He's the one who actually officially said 'welcome to the family,' so I'm guessing he liked me…" Val trailed off allowing her last words to sink in.

"So that's what's making you feel smug, being accepted by a married man's family! Because of that, I suppose you don't care what you do, who you hurt or what damage you've done. You really are a piece of work, Valerie."

"'Married man'? You've been misinformed, I think. I am with a newly divorced man, though. We decided to wait until he was officially free before going ahead with any type of relationship—so glad we did that! And that man chose to free himself and to be with me, all on his own, no coercion necessary. So let's break it down, shall we? You threw away your marriage by lying to your husband, he slept with me, you two broke up, and he decided to end things with finality by divorcing you. And you're still pissed and hating me because hating me is easier than hating yourself. I know there's more to it, but that's the gist of it, isn't it?"

"One mistake you made—I don't hate myself. I'm angry at myself for letting things get this far and losing my husband, yes, but I don't hate myself. I do hate you, though. You're right about that. That'll never change. In me, you've made an enemy for life, Cousin. Let's see how far being smug will carry you in dealing with that reality."

"Well, Lulu, we all have our crosses to bear—I guess you'll be mine. I have a feeling that the love of my new-found family as well as the love of—others—will help me bear up under whatever you might decide to throw my way. Now as fun as this has been, I'd better get back to work. No telling who's been wandering around the squad room looking for me and wondering where I am. 'Til next time, Cousin."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie was pleased with herself as she returned to the PCPD. "Now that," she thought, "more than makes up for the last two times she and I 'talked'. More than makes up for it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	30. Chapter 30

Ch. 30

Before Dante could settle in once he had arrived at the PCPD, Jordan was approaching him with Randy Hill at her side. Barely suppressing an eye roll, he waited to hear what his boss had in store for him and his new "partner." "Falconeri, good morning," stated Jordan with a smile, adding, "I've got some news for you. We got a hit from one of the precincts in South Jersey City about Scribbs, it seems. He was picked up for public drunkenness in one of their parks and they took him to one of their treatment centers. One of the officers had seen your fax and contacted us so I need you and Hill to head out there. It's only an hour and a half or so by plane—you and Hill mount up and go see what Scribbs has to say about his part in West's stabbing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't that the plane ride was uncomfortable but Dante couldn't for the life of him think of any ice breakers to initiate conversation with Randy. He was the senior officer—he really should try to lead by example, he thought. Finally, for lack of anything better to say, he turned to Randy and asked, "So, the Boss tells me you're looking to make Detective. How're you preparing for it?" Randy looked at Dante in surprise as if shocked at the interest Dante was displaying but he answered, "Well, the main thing I'm trying to do now is get investigative experience. I figure I've got to get at least another year and a half maybe under my belt. Eventually I may even have to transfer to the NYPD if I can't get what I need in Port Charles. I've also been getting familiar with the exam for Sergeant, just to prepare myself." Dante was impressed. Maybe Hill wasn't as much of a goofball as he'd previously thought. "You're already looking ahead to the Sergeant's exam? Wow. That's forward thinking of you."

Randy turned fully in his seat as he warmed to his topic. "My plan is to have my own house someday, but I've gotta get there, I know. That's why, believe it or not, I was interested in working with you. I know you were a bit of a fast burner, and I wanted to know how you did it. From what I hear, you made Detective pretty quickly."

"Wait a minute—you seriously want to run your own house someday? That's real ambitious, isn't it? And pretty far off into the future…"

"My father was a cop, a sergeant. Had to retire on a medical. My grandfather was a lieutenant with the NYPD. It's expected of me to make rank and to shoot for having my own command someday. When I was a kid, I really wanted to be a fireman but that didn't fly in my house. That 'wasn't my destiny', I was told, and so I gave that up and went into the Force. I probably could get what I need to make rank if I transferred to New York now but I wanted to see what I could do on my own. I didn't want to hear, 'Of course he made rank, he's Hill's grandson.' I know nepotism is alive and well and I'm not saying I'd never use that connection—I'm just hoping I don't have to."

"I am impressed, Hill, I've gotta tell you. Half the time, you come off like such a goof that I didn't know you were capable of depth. You asked me how I was able to make rank so fast. Going undercover was where I made my mark. Being able to get placed in the right situation at the right time helps, too. Organized crime is a great place to start. I was undercover for a year with the Zacchara organization without getting busted by them. Things were going wrong for them left and right, which allowed the Corinthos organization to gain ground on them and they never suspected I was the problem. I gathered evidence, submitted it to my superiors, and kept my position in their organization, all without getting caught. I walked a tightrope for a year and a half. By the time I'd gotten positioned with Corinthos, I thought I'd end up single-handedly bringing down the Mob. I was flying too high, I know that now. I felt like I was invincible. Obviously, I wasn't."

"It sounds exciting. I'd like to think I have the stones to pull something like that off, but I know it takes a special mindset and determination and I'm not there yet. I'd like the chance to try, though, I think. Being undercover in a crime family sounds intense. I think it's weird how you refer to him as 'Corinthos' when you're talking about him. I know he's a crime boss, but don't you think of him as your father?"

Dante frowned as he thought about Randy's question. "I guess when I'm talking about him to other cops, I don't think of him as my father. That was my second biggest fear after finding out that I was his kid—that other officers would think of me as tainted because he's my father. It's a weird kind of distance I have to keep with him. Yes, he's my father, but I didn't know that when I went undercover in his organization. I was just trying to take down a crime boss."

"How do you deal with it now?"

"I don't really know. Day by day, I suppose. He knows that if he does something I have to take him in for, I'm taking him. I know that he's never going to give up his power and go legit. So those are our rules, I guess. He knows I can't look the other way when he does what he does, and he doesn't expect me to. But he is my father, so it's hard. I'm walking a different kind of tightrope these days." Randy nodded his understanding and was getting ready to ask another question when the pilot came over the loudspeaker announcing their arrival at Teterboro Airport.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Your guy is kind of squirrelly," they were told once they had made their way to the Greenville Precinct in South Jersey. "He's all kinds of agitated. When we told him you were on your way here to talk to him, he got worse." They were shown to an interrogation room where Scribbs was waiting with another officer. His eyes widened when Dante and Randy entered and he immediately began insisting, "I didn't do nothin'! I didn't do nothin'! I don't know nothin' an' I didn't do nothin!" Dante and Hill looked at one another and then Dante sat down at the table across from Scribbs and regarded him, scratching his brow as if puzzled. "You don't 'know nothin' and you didn't do nothin', huh? Ok. But you're a ways from home, Scribbs. We had to fly over an hour just to get here ourselves. Why'd you give up your cushy corner in Port Charles for this pit? No offense," he added to the officers in the room. They smirked, but otherwise didn't reply.

"Dunno. Jus' wanted to come to Jersey, that's all."

"It's strange, though, Scribbs. The timing, I mean. You're doing what you do, getting information, working your corner, giving information to West, he gets stabbed, and you disappear. Not that you asked, but he's gonna live, by the way. It was touch and go for a while there, but he's gonna be ok. That must set your mind at ease."

"Dunno what you're talkin' about. Don't know nothin' about no stabbin'. I didn't do nothin'."

"So you keep saying, Scribbs. But what I really wanna know is how West ended up at the old mill because of a tip you gave him."

Scribbs' agitation was back in full force. "I tole you, I don't know nothin' 'bout no stabbin'! I didn't do nothin' wrong!"

Randy leaned forward on the table and softly asked, "Is there a fencing ring down at the old mill, Scribbs? Did you see it for yourself? Did you see Joey Robbs there?"

"No! I mean, what? I didn't see Joey Robbs at the mill or nowhere else! Why won't you guys believe me? I didn't do nothin'!"

Dante rested his chin on his thumb while supporting his bent arm on the table. Quietly he stated, "Scribbs, you're in this up to your neck, man. It was your tip, your information that got Nathan to that alley. He went because he trusted your tips. He told me that himself—that your word was golden to him. So you got him to that mill. You either did it because you really had seen something suspicious, or because someone told you to get him down there. It can't be any other way, Scribbs. Now if you saw something, you tell us what you saw, and we'll take it from there. But if someone told you to get Nathan to the mill, we need to know who that someone was. You don't want to go down on conspiracy charges, do you?"

By now, Scribbs was almost in tears and he grabbed his hair, pulling it tightly, exclaiming, "You got me all wrong! I didn't do nothin', Detective, honest! I wouldn't hurt West!"

Randy interjected, "Maybe you didn't know he would get hurt, Scribbs. Maybe you just thought whoever told you to lure him to the mill would scare him a bit and let him go. Maybe that's what you were told, huh? Just get him there—nothing bad would happen to him. Was that how it was?"

"I didn't know he was gonna get hurt. Nobody said nothin' 'bout that."

"But somebody did tell you to draw him down there, didn't they, Scribbs? Right now, I've got you all alone in this thing, man," Dante reminded him, adding, "Don't take the fall for this. All I need is a name."

Rapidly shaking his head, Scribbs asserted, "He'll kill me. I say anythin', my life ain't worth livin'. I don't know nothin', no sir."

Dante gazed around the room at the other officers and then leaned back in his chair. To Scribbs he said, "This is what I think is gonna happen. We're gonna have you brought back to Port Charles. We're gonna book you on conspiracy charges, hold you for a couple of days, and then convince the DA to let you go. We're gonna hint around that whatever you told us is what got you sprung. Then we're gonna let the chips fall and see who does what to try to squash this thing."

Scribbs looked at Dante incredulously, saying, "You can't do that! He can't do that, can he?" he asked, appealing to the other officers in the room. One of the officers shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "I can't help you." When he realized he had no help coming from anyone else present, he tried again to plead his case with Dante. "This guy will kill me, I swear. That's why I came to Jersey, ok? He tole me to take off and I did. I don't want no trouble. I didn't mean what happened to West, ok? I didn't know that was gonna happen! I didn't do it, though. It wasn't me!"

"Somebody stabbed my partner and left him for dead. I want that guy, whoever he is. You know who he is. All I need is a name, Scribbs. And yeah, you might have to testify, which means you'd better not try to disappear again. We're going after this guy because he tried to kill a cop. We're not gonna rest until we get him. You give me a name, we're gone. No one has to know where you are. You come in, testify, take off."

"I testify, I'm dead."

"I take you back to Port Charles and put you on the street after a brief hold, and you're dead, too. You don't have a lot of choices, Scribbs, but that's what happens when you set up a cop to be stabbed and left for dead in an alley, whether you meant for that to happen or not. You come in, you testify, you come back here and disappear into the bowels of Jersey—again, no offense," he reiterated to the Jersey City cops. "None taken, yet, Port Chuck," he was told. Once again he looked at Scribbs. "Clock's ticking, my patience is fading. What's it gonna be, man? You give us a name, stay available until we need you, or do we take you back with us and let you take your chances?"

"Carmine Garafalo," mumbled Scribbs defeatedly, putting his head down on the table. Dante glanced around the room at his fellow officers again in confusion, asking, "Is this someone I should know?"

One of the officers answered, "Crazy Carmine Garafalo, outta North Jersey. Mostly a bagman, but he sidelines. Whatever you need, if you're willing to pay, he's willing to do it. Good at his craft, obviously, otherwise he'd already be locked up. I kind of see why your guy's scared here."

"And you're trying to tell me," Dante said to Scribbs, "That Joey Robbs isn't involved here, huh? That this guy who might as well be a million miles away from Port Charles just popped in to ice a cop he didn't know?" Even as he asked him, he remembered Robbs saying that if he wanted someone done, he would use a guy who knew a guy. "Never mind," he told Scribbs, "Scratch that. Look, just lay low, ok? We'll look into this Garafalo. If we tag him, be available—don't make us have to hunt you down, ok? Because if you do, I'll be gunning for you and I won't rest until I've either got you in my hands or your body on a slab. Let's not let it get to that point." Addressing the other officers Dante asked them, "What are you guys gonna do with him?" "We're gonna cut him loose for now, if you're done with him. What we picked him up for isn't considered a crime here—we only held on to him because of your fax. If you're not taking him, he's free to go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the plane ride home, Dante could tell that Randy was experiencing some sort of inner struggle and he finally said, "Ok, you've got something on your mind. Let's have it." Randy frowned and opened his mouth to speak a couple of times without saying anything. Snorting out a short laugh, Dante wondered, "Did you have a problem with something I did back there? You seem bothered." Randy shook his head but he eventually muttered, "He was just a frightened old man." "Yeah, he was a frightened old man. A frightened old man who almost got a cop killed. Should I have offered him milk and cookies and asked him nicely to tell me what I needed to know?"

"You threatened to set him up, to put him out on the street to get killed, basically. Something about that doesn't seem right to me, that's all." Dante looked at Randy amusedly and smiled again, saying, "You really are green, aren't you? Let me tell you something. To get the name of whoever tried to kill my partner in that alley, not only did I threaten that old man, but I would have followed through on my threat. Your dad might have been a cop but it doesn't sound like he talked too much about the realities of what we have to do sometimes to get what we need to do our jobs. You're gonna get your hands dirty sometimes, Hill. You're gonna find yourself doing things you never thought you'd do sometimes, too. The key is to straddle that line and keep Internal Affairs off your back. Do what you need to do and keep it legal. Legal doesn't always mean clean, though. You need to think about that if you plan to run your own house someday. You've got a long way to go, man."

"I don't know if I want to be that kind of cop, though."

"You think you can re-invent the wheel or something? You're gonna be the kinder, gentler cop who gets it done with soft words and suggestions? Keep your ideals, man. You're gonna find out the hard way that you won't be effective, but stay idealistic. I'm not saying you have to go around busting people's heads in and planting evidence on them to make your cases. That's not the way, either. But if you had a hard time with what I did to Scribbs back there, you're gonna have a hard time in this career field. No matter what your parental expectations are, you might wanna think about that." For the rest of the plane ride home they were silent, lost in their own thoughts about the outcome of the day's events.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	31. Chapter 31

Ch. 31

Not too long after Randy and Dante returned from New Jersey and made their way to the PCPD to update Jordan on the results of their trip, Randy was standing by the water cooler deeply lost in thought. So far gone was he in his musings that he didn't hear Val at first when she walked past him with an offhanded, "Hey, Randy." She paused when he didn't return her greeting, asking, "Randy. Hey. You in there?" She waved her hand in front of his face, which brought him back to the present. "Oh, hey Val," he finally responded, "I didn't hear you." "I figured that. Is everything ok?" "I'm not sure. Can I talk to you in private for a minute?" "Sure. Let's go out on the patio—I don't think anyone's out there right now." The patio, situated behind the PCPD, was a place where lunching officers could take time out to enjoy some peace while eating. There currently wasn't anyone in the area and Val gestured to one of the benches and they both sat down. They sat there in silence for a few moments before Val stated, "You've obviously got something on your mind, Randy. What's up? How was the trip to New Jersey? Were you guys successful?" Randy paused for a beat and then answered, "Yeah, I guess so. No, we were, we were. At least we were able to get a lead, the name of the guy who went for Nathan…" He once again fell silent. "That's a good thing, then, right? So what's the problem?" Randy hemmed and hawed and then ultimately blurted out, "I'm not sure I'm down with the way we got the information. Falconeri practically threatened this old man with death." He sighed and shook his head as he thought back to the interrogation room and Scribbs' responses.

"Dante threatened to kill him? That doesn't sound like him…"

"No, he didn't do that but he did basically tell the guy that he'd set him up to be killed. It's almost the same thing, as far as I'm concerned."

"Well, do you think he did something against policy, or illegal?"

"No, he didn't. I guess for me it's more a question of ethics than anything else. I didn't think he was that kind of cop, that's all."

"What kind of cop—the kind that gets information? Because you were there at the hospital the night Nathan was stabbed but Dante is the one who found him in that alley. And in fairness to him, Nathan is his partner. Of course he's gonna do whatever he has to do to get information. And if he didn't actually put his hands on the guy—"

"Scribbs is a weak old man. We're supposed to stand up for the innocent and for those who can't stand up for themselves. I just don't think we had to frighten and intimidate him to get what we needed from him." Frowning, Val wondered, "How did you expect to get it, then? Ask him nicely to tell you what you wanted to know? You really think that would have worked?"

"All I know is I'll never know. Scribbs liked Nathan. Maybe if we had appealed to his sense of justice, or played up the fact that he probably didn't mean for what happened to Nathan to happen, we could have gotten information without scaring the guy to death. I don't think it was handled the right way, that's all."

Valerie thought hard about how to phrase what she wanted to say and then she told him, "I think you're being a bit naïve, if you don't mind me saying, Randy. This guy knew what happened to Nathan, he knew who did it, and he still ran away. It seems to me that if he was interested in justice or fairness, he would have stayed and told what he knew to the cops."

"When he's dealing with stone cold killers? I don't blame him for running. I just wish I didn't feel like we were more of the oppressive forces against him then people he could trust enough to tell the truth to without coercion." Pausing briefly and staring off into the distance, Val finally turned to Randy and said, "It sounds like you're pretty disappointed in Dante, huh?" Randy met her eyes for a second before turning away. "He's a fast burner and he seemed like a solid, by-the-book cop. I was thinking I could learn a lot from him. Now…"

"Now you're not so sure, I guess."

"I'm not sure I want to be that kind of cop. I want to make situations better, not worse."

"And you don't think Dante wants that, too? This guy was partly responsible for the attempted murder of a police officer. Even if I don't think it was intentional on his part, it doesn't change the fact that Nathan almost died. You really can't see Dante's side of this when his partner's life was almost taken? When a cop almost died?"

"I'm not saying what Scribbs did was right at all. It wasn't and I get that, totally. All I'm saying is I became a cop to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Frightening information out of witnesses—I don't think that's gonna work for me." Smiling faintly, Val replied, "Something tells me you might have to re-think that stance as time goes by, Randy." Looking at her suspiciously, he asked her, "You been talking to Falconeri about this?" "No, why?" "Because he said something similar to me." "Well, it makes sense. Don't you think police officers would rather not need guns, or have to bust heads sometimes? There are always going to be some who get off on that, but I don't think that's the majority of them. Reality is that sometimes you have to do the distasteful thing to get justice or to fight crime. Think of it this way. If Scribbs had answered you guys the first time he was asked who paid him to get Nathan to that alley, Dante wouldn't have threatened him, would he?" "Probably not, but-" "There you go. Listen, I think if you stay a cop, you're gonna look back on this time and laugh at how innocent you were. You're gonna see a lot of things between now and then-"

Randy launched up from the bench and after giving Val an irritated glare, he huffed, "So you think I'm some naïve little joke, too, huh? Too idealistic to be a good cop?" "No, Randy, that's not what I'm saying at all-" Sarcastically he said, "Forget it, Val. Thanks for listening." He stormed away from the patio in anger.

"Randy! Randy! Hang on a minute—I didn't mean-" But he had disappeared into the station, leaving Val sitting on the bench in bewilderment. What exactly had she said that was so wrong? She shook her head in confusion. "Save me from temperamental males," she thought to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Following her arrival home, Val changed into a comfortable tank shirt and shorts. She was looking forward to a bit of peace as she burrowed into the couch after placing an order with Domino's Pizza for a pasta bowl and a salad. Dante was with Rocco since he was supposed to have him for the weekend, so though she would miss him, Val wasn't expecting to see him for the greater part of the next two days. She turned the television on and was surfing happily when the doorbell rang. Puzzled, she got up to answer the door. There was no way this could be her delivery already? Shrugging, she opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to see Dante standing there clutching Rocco and two baby bags full of baby paraphernalia. Standing back and opening the door wider to allow them entrance, Val gave Dante a questioning smile and then she addressed Rocco, "Wow, look at you! You've grown so much, Rocco! You're getting to be such a big boy!" To his father, she asked, "Did you lose your key already? Why are you ringing the doorbell?"

"I had my hands full and I didn't want to put anything down to fish around for the key. You look surprised. Is it ok that we're here?"

"Of course it's ok, I just don't—know-" She stopped and frowned, shaking her head.

"You don't know why we're here when I made such a big deal about Rocco being at the loft in familiar surroundings, right?"

"I wasn't going to say that, but yeah, I was thinking something along those lines..." Self-deprecatingly, Dante glanced away from her and then laughed as he looked back at her, shaking his head. "Truth be told," he answered, "I didn't want to be away from you tonight. I thought about it and decided to bring him over here to see if he could be ok. Sonny sent all that furniture, I wanted to be with you, so I said, 'Screw it. Let's see what happens.' So we came."

Val was unsuccessfully trying to hide a pleased smile as she responded, "I never would have suggested it myself, but I'm glad you're here. Both of you. Why don't you take him up and let him get used to the room? Maybe if he touches some things and plays with some things, he'll be able to settle by the time bedtime rolls around. Oh, I thought I was going to be alone so I ordered Domino's…"

"I'll scrounge around for whatever you've got in the kitchen. Rocco and I will be fine." He headed to the staircase before turning back when she didn't move. "Aren't you coming with us?" "No, you two go on ahead. Let him get used to things with just you for now. I don't want to infringe on your alone time with him. I'll come up a little bit later." He cocked his head to the side, a slight frown on his face. He asked, "Are you sure you're ok with us being here, Val? I know we just popped up out of nowhere-"

"Dante, seriously? I wouldn't have given you a key if I had a problem with you coming over whenever you wanted to, and don't forget, I didn't have a problem with Rocco being here, remember? I told you, I'm glad you're both here. Go on and get him settled." Dante carried Rocco up to the nursery and placed him on the floor in the middle of the room. He asked him, "So, Buddy, what do you think? You think you can be comfortable here? Grandpa Sonny got all this stuff for you—I guess it would be ungrateful not to make use of it, huh?" He rooted around in the toy chest and found a miniature basketball, which he rolled to Rocco after joining him down on the floor. Rocco laughed delightedly before picking up the ball and throwing it across the room. "Ok, 'Go Fetch' it is—I can play that," Dante said, and then he moved to retrieve the ball.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Every now and then, Val could hear Dante and Rocco laughing and she smiled to herself as she finished the last of her salad. It sounded so—homey-she thought, to hear them laughing together and having fun. She didn't think, after he had made such a fuss, that Dante would bring Rocco over to the penthouse, and especially not overnight. He had, though, and she was happy as she thought of the reason why he came. He missed her and didn't want to spend the night without her. With a bounce in her step, she took the remnants of her meal into the kitchen and then made her way up the stairs and into the nursery. She was somewhat disappointed to see that Rocco was already falling asleep in the crib, while Dante stood by and gently patted him and rubbed his tummy intermittently. "I didn't think I was that long in coming up here," she whispered, adding, "How can he be asleep so soon?" "I deliberately wore him out because I wanted him to be able to sleep," Dante whispered back. "Did you make sure the baby monitor has batteries in it?" "Of course." Dante placed the monitor closer to the crib and then after turning on a nightlight and turning down the main lights, he picked up the other monitor and he and Val crept out of the room and walked across the hall to the master bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Do you think he'll be all right?" Val wondered concernedly. "We'll just have to see," answered Dante with a smile, saying further, "He seemed to like the room well enough. He went around and touched everything, he liked the toys and he appeared to be comfortable. I've got the monitor and we'll keep an ear out but the rest of the night will tell the tale." He paused and looked at her when she only nodded at what he was saying. "Ok. Why aren't you rubbing this in?"

"What do you mean?"

"I figured you'd be having an 'I told you so' fest right about now about bringing Rocco over here. After making such a stink, I kind of feel foolish about it so I thought-"

"Dante, I wouldn't do that about something so important. Look, I agreed that in order for Rocco to feel safe and at ease, he needed to be at the loft with you. It's about what's best for him. I would love it if he falls in love with the nursery, especially since it's here and Sonny went through the trouble of having it set up. You're his dad, so I expect you to be doing what's best for him. The only thing I objected to was your come across when you thought I had ordered the furniture without your approval. Once we got that settled, I still understood your point of view. So now you're here, and he's here. I'm hoping this is the first of many nights for him to be here. I wouldn't mock you for trying to look out for him."

"I appreciate that, Val. Because I wrestled with it for a while tonight. I felt like a fool but I really wanted to see you, to be with you. Maybe I should have taken the high road and stayed at the loft, but I chose to come here with him because I didn't want to stay away from you." Val leaned on her fist after stretching out on the bed and with a smile she told him, "Now that's a complement if ever I've heard one. Hearing you admit that has my heart going crazy right now. I had been thinking how much I missed you, but I would never have asked you to bring Rocco over here if you hadn't suggested it or acted on it first. I'm just glad you're here. That you took the chance and came."

Dante joined her on the bed, lying across from her and copying her by leaning on his fist as he faced her. He reached out and tugged on a few strands of her hair before smoothing them behind her ear. "So you don't think I'm pitiful? I've got to admit also that I've gotten used to seeing your face first thing in the morning, Angel. I didn't want to miss out on that if I didn't have to." In one quick movement, Val pushed him over on to his back and gazed down at him before kissing him softly, once, twice. He reached up and tangled his fingers in her hair as the kiss deepened. They feasted on one another for a few moments before Dante broke the kiss, saying with a teasingly lisping voice, "Ooh, you're tho agrethive!"

"Did I scare you?"

"No, you just made me want more. I didn't want to jump your bones two seconds after I came over here, though. I'm kind of surprised you haven't asked me how the trip to New Jersey went." "Ohh, that. Yeah. I kind of already know how that went. I heard you got the name of the guy who went for Nathan. Congratulations."

"You heard? Oh, I guess from Hill, huh? What else did he tell you? I'm sure you got an earful!"

"Yeah, I did. He was pretty disturbed about how Scribbs' interview went down. He had a bad case of hero-worship, which I think you kind of squashed with your style in Jersey." She moved back and he rolled his eyes and then placed his hands under his head and sighed. "I should care about that, shouldn't I, but I'm not trying to be his hero. I wanted the name of the guy who went for my partner, and that's all I cared about, not Hill's delicate sensibilities. What did he tell you—that I was mean and evil and evil and mean for how I treated Scribbs? Give me a break."

"He told me that you threatened Scribbs with death."

"What? With death? What is he, nuts? I threatened to kill the guy?"

"No, you threatened to put him back on the streets and let street justice take care of him, if he didn't tell you what you wanted to know." Slightly mollified, Dante agreed, "Ok, yeah, I did do that. And I'd do it again. If Hill had his way, he was ready to treat Scribbs like some innocent citizen and not like someone directly involved in getting my partner stabbed. Whatever. That's his way. Ineffective as all hell, but-"

"You can't really say it was ineffective since you didn't try it, Dante." He rolled over and sat up, crossing his arms as he looked down at her. "You can't be saying that you agree with him, are you? Am I missing something here? This guy helped set up a cop! Why is everyone acting like he should be coddled and babied? You think what he did was ok?"

"No, of course not! I told you before, though, that I don't think Scribbs meant for what happened to Nathan to happen. I know that doesn't change the outcome, but I think he was seduced by the money to lure him to that alley. Doesn't make it right, I know, but I think that's what happened. You wanted to get a potential cop killer off the streets so you aggressively went after Scribbs. I get it, and I support it. I also see Randy's point, though, especially since you don't know if his kinder, gentler approach would have worked-"

"You have got to be kidding me! We had to go all the way to frickin' New Jersey because that's how far this guy ran! He set Nathan up and then ran away like a coward! He's lucky I'm not the wrong kind of cop; otherwise, I might very well have caved his head in! I know about your 'law of the streets' philosophy but I've got nothing for this creep. And if Hill thinks it's more important to baby a witness than it is to get a cop killer off the streets, then I've got nothing for him, either!"

"Don't take it like that, Dante. And don't be too hard on Randy, ok? You've been on the Force for a while and he's new yet. He didn't like how you handled the situation but I'm sure after he's been around for a few years, he'll be doing the same thing, or worse. Be patient with him." Huffing out a breath, Dante grumbled, "I've got his patience. Hmph. All I know is he'd better not be giving me any more grief about this or he's gonna catch a case. Why did Jordan saddle me with this child? It must be because she's mad at me about something…"

"Probably because she thought you could both benefit from riding with each other. Now, see, you're all riled up, which doesn't fit in with what I had planned for the rest of the evening at all."

Mentally switching gears, Dante asked, "Oh, really? What kind of plans, exactly?" She got up on her knees and scooted over to him, whispering in his ear, "I intend to make you weak tonight." He closed his eyes and bit his lip when she licked his ear, sighing when she sucked his lobe into her mouth. "That's one plan," he finally answered, "But I had a slightly different idea…" "Like what?" "Strip." Her stomach clenched at the order and her mouth fell open but no words could form. "What are you waitin' for?" Taking a deep breath, she crossed her arms at the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Dante nodded in approval before adding, "Nice. Very nice. Keep goin'. Get rid of the shorts, too." "Why? What do you intend to do?" He held her gaze without answering and with her eyes widening at his silent stare, she hooked her thumbs into her shorts and eased them down and off. Nodding again, Dante finally responded to her query. "What do I intend to do? I intend to feast on you until YOU'RE weak. And after I've drunk every drop you have and you're too weak to move, I'm gonna take you over and over until I'M too exhausted to keep goin'. Any objections?"

"None I can think of."

"Good. Then you might as well lie back and get comfortable. We're gonna be here for a while…" He spread her thighs wide and smiled as he licked his lips before leaning down to her. She couldn't help but flash back to the dream she'd had of him doing this very thing and she groaned aloud the way she had in the dream when his tongue began pushing its way into her. "Ohh, you're crazy!" she exclaimed when he used his thumbs to spread her even wider. "Yeah? And?" "And I love it! Ooh, Dante, damn!" she cried out when he intensified his attack. She grabbed the iron bars of the headboard and panted as she anticipated what she knew was going to be a long night…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	32. Chapter 32

Ch. 32

Dante awoke to gentle kisses being placed all over his chest and he rolled onto his back with a sigh. "Mmm, good morning," he whispered with a smile, keeping his eyes closed as he enjoyed the sensation of her soft lips on his skin. He added, "I would have thought after last night you'd have been satisfied, but maybe not, huh?" Val inched her way up to his neck and he arched a bit to give her better access. "I was more than satisfied," she told him, "and this is my way of saying 'Thank You'." "I like your way of thanking me. Thanking me for what, though?"

Val backed slightly away from him and leaning her chin on her fist, she paused and then answered, "For being so 'attentive' last night. I've never had anyone pay me that kind of attention before. It was an experience, for sure." Dante opened his eyes and rose up on his elbows, regarding her with a puzzled frown. "Wait a minute. Are you saying no one's ever gone down on you before? That first night when we had sex, you weren't a virgin, were you?" Laughing, she replied, "Of course not—relax. But it's hard to equate teenage fumbling in the backseat of a car or having hurried sex at a house party with what we did last night." "Ok. 'Teenage fumbling,' huh? Sounds kind of disappointing." Thinking back, Val smiled as she responded, "Oh, I don't know. I thought at the time it was true love. Senior year, Jeremy Messer and I were one of the hot couples on campus. Everyone thought we were screwing our brains out and we never told them otherwise, but we weren't. We dated through my first year of college. Back then, I honestly thought we'd end up getting married." "What happened?" "My mom was diagnosed with MS. Overnight, I went from being a kid to becoming an adult. I already had a job—I've been working since I was seventeen—but now I had greater responsibilities. It was time for me to become my family's lioness, which didn't leave much time for romance. Pretty much stayed that way through college, since I was concentrating on getting my degree."

"Your family's lioness? What does that mean?"

"In seventh grade we took a trip to the zoo. After walking around all day checking out the animals, we had to write a report on which was our favorite, and why. I've always been a fan of nature shows so I already knew which animal I was going to write about before we even got there. I'm a fan of the lioness because she reminded me of my mom. The lioness puts everything on the line for the pride. She knows that if she doesn't hunt, her cubs and the rest of the pride go hungry. She hones her skills and she's tireless in the hunt. She does what she has to do to take care of the family. That's my mom." Shaking her head, she corrected herself and continued, "WAS my mom. My mom was a single mother but I don't really remember wanting for much. She worked hard to make sure I ate, had a roof over my head, clothes to wear. We didn't have a lot of money so she learned to sew and sew well so I at least looked like the other kids sometimes, even if it wasn't name-brand stuff. She worked herself ragged so I could enroll in dance class. She was my hero, my lioness. Once she started feeling changes in her body, and especially after we found out why, we started slowly switching roles. It was time for me to take over caring for the pride. That didn't leave much time for a boyfriend, not one as popular as Jeremy was. We just drifted apart, which ended up being for the best, though it hurt like hell at the time."

Reaching out to smooth his hand over her hair before tucking some strands behind her ear, he remarked, "That's why you're so strong. You were pretty young to have to start shouldering such a responsibility…" She pursed her lips and her eyes narrowed. "And you can take that look off your face right now!"

"What look?"

"That 'poor you' look. I didn't tell you all that to get your pity-"

"Whoa, you're misinterpreting my look, I think. This isn't pity, it's admiration. But if I did feel bad for that young girl who had to take on so much so early, what's wrong with that?" Val considered his words for a moment. She nodded as she admitted, "Ok, you're right. I guess I can be a little touchy about it. It wasn't my mom's fault she got sick—I'm still protective it seems, even though she's gone. I just didn't want you to think I was regretful or anything. My mom was my rock and I would have done anything for her, the same way she would have done anything for me, and had done, many times." "Well, I'm only saying-"

Dante was suddenly interrupted by Rocco's mewling cry. Sliding out of the bed, Val shrugged into a robe while Dante pulled on a pair of shorts. Together they went into the nursery to check on him. He was standing up in the crib holding onto the railing with tears in his eyes; he reached out to his father as soon as he saw him. Dante plucked him out of the crib and hugged him tightly, asking, "Hey, Rocco, what's wrong, Buddy? You woke up in a strange place and thought you were all alone, huh? Daddy's here, little man." With a hiccupping sigh, Rocco laid his head on his father's shoulder. Val reached out and stroked Rocco's hair, wondering aloud, "How did he sleep, Dante? I didn't hear him even once during the night."

"That's because you're not used to having to listen out for him on the monitor. He only woke up once and whimpered a bit. I took him to the potty, rocked with him in the rocking chair for a while, and he went right back out." "He's probably starving by now—I'm kind of hungry myself," murmured Val. "You're right. Let's do this—I'll get us washed up and then let's all go to Kelly's for breakfast." "You sure you want to go to Kelly's instead of somewhere else?" "Yeah, why not? We're not ducking and dodging anymore, Valerie. They have good pancakes there and I want some. If we run into anyone we know, we just do, ok?"

"Ok. If you're game, so am I."

"Good. And after we eat, let's take Rocco to the zoo."

"The zoo? Are you serious?"

"Sure. To remember your mother, let's take Rocco to see some lady lions." Walking away with a huge grin on her face, Val went into her bathroom to prepare for the proposed outing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Halfway into the trip to Buffalo, it began raining. It was an unseasonably cool day and though they had appropriately bundled up, they weren't expecting rain. "Maybe I should have checked on that with the Weather Channel, huh?" Dante said, shaking his head. Val pulled out her phone and looked up the zoo on the Web. "There are a few indoor exhibits we can still go see, including one with lions and tigers. It also looks like there's a new baby at the gorilla exhibit—that should be fun."

"So we keep going?"

"Let's. It'll be an adventure for all three of us. Unfortunately, Rocco probably won't remember much of it but we can always take pictures to commemorate the day. I don't think I've been back to the zoo since that seventh grade field trip. Something you always intend to make time for, and never end up doing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rocco wasn't the only one fascinated as they went from enclosure to enclosure. Dante read aloud from the brochure given at the zoo's entrance as Valerie pushed Rocco in the stroller. She unknowingly let out a little squeal when she caught sight of one of the lionesses behind the glass and insisted on having her picture taken in front of them. "Look at her," she quietly said, clearly in awe, going on, "Look how powerful she is! Those muscles! And that proud look on her face! She's all that, and she knows it." Shaking his head and laughing at her reaction, he said, "I think you're more excited than Rocco is. But yeah, she is beautiful. What do you think of the lion, though? He's not called 'the king of beasts' for nothing." "Pfft. He's typical, that's what he is. He lies there and waits for his mate to hand everything to him. He's strong and fierce but I'm not impressed. He's just a pretty face. The pride would die without her."

"Hang on now. He protects the pride, doesn't he? It's not like he doesn't have a role to play here. He does what he's supposed to for his family, too." "You've got that. I agree, to a point. I still think she's more important, though," she told him, flashing him a devilish smirk.

"Figures. Like most women, you think she has the tougher job..." Popping him on the arm in mock disgust, Val replied, "Hey! Don't be sexist—I'm only telling the truth. Of the two of them, I think she has the bigger part to play, that's all." "Well, because you think of your mother as a lioness, I won't argue further," he told her. Adding under his breath as she walked in front of him with Rocco, he muttered, "Even if I think you're wrong."

"I heard that," she said over her shoulder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After admiring the new baby gorilla and taking more pictures, they decided to find a place to sit and have a snack. As they were eating, Val asked Dante, "What's your favorite animal? Tigers, bears, elephants?" "Dogs." "C'mon, choose something exotic!" "Nope. You asked for my favorite. Dogs are my favorite animals." "Why?" "Dogs are amazing. Fiercely protective, they'll actually place themselves between their 'humans' and danger. They warn you of incoming danger and they won't relent until they know you're paying attention to what they're trying to tell you. When you walk in the door after a long day, they let you know you're the most important person in the world to them. They comfort you when you're sad—won't leave your side. The littlest things make them happy, too. They're loyal to a fault. Dogs show emotions and have personalities just like people. Plus they're perfect pets for cops. I just think they're awesome."

"Can we upgrade that to wolves, then? At least they're mysterious and dangerous…"

"I don't think I'd want a wolf unless I lived in Alaska or something. Give me a good old domestic dog, any day."

"I guess. It's a little boring, but we'll go with it." "We can't all be enthralled with lionesses. I can actually own my favorite. You try to get close to a lioness and see if she doesn't chew your ass up. I don't need that kind of drama from my pet."

"Another good point, though I never said I wanted to own a lioness, just that I admire them out of all other animals." They finished their snacks, cleaned Rocco up, and moved on. Once they had visited the endangered animals and giraffe enclosures, they ended up at the reptile house. Rocco was appropriately apprehensive when the largest of the snakes slithered right up to the glass, tongue flickering away. He put his hand out as if to touch the snake and then quickly snatched it back, looking up at them for reassurance. "You are a very wise guy, Rocco," Val told him with a smile, "because that is a very mean looking snake. What does the brochure say about the Reticulated Python, Dante?" Scanning the brochure, Dante read, "It's the largest Asian snake. It can grow to be over twenty-one feet long and weigh about one hundred sixty-five pounds. Finding one that big is rare, but has been known. This one here is about ten feet long. They have been known to prey on humans, though that is rare as well. They kill their prey by constriction. Nasty customers, for sure." They moved away to another part of the exhibit to take a look at the smaller reptiles.

They were laughing at the antics of the frilled lizard when Dante noticed Rocco was asleep. Deciding to take that as a sign, they headed out of the zoo and dashed through the rain to the car. Val tried to use her jacket to shield Dante from the heaviest of the rain while he buckled Rocco into his car seat and folded the stroller, but he still got soaked. She laughed at his hangdog expression and then mouthed, "I'm sorry" to him as he shivered in the front seat. Cranking the heater up to its maximum setting, he waited for the car to warm up before pulling out of the lot and onto the road home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They rode for a while in silence and then Dante abruptly asked, "What's the wildest thing you've ever done when you were a kid?" Val regarded him in surprise, saying, "Wow, there's a question. I don't know. I wasn't really a wild child. I've tried pot but I didn't like it, so I only tried that once. Underage drinking with friends. Hmm. Ok. It's not really wild, but it's the best I can come up with. Junior year, Judy Messer, Pippa Arondale and I wanted to go to Atlantic City one weekend. All the kids in our class seemed to be planning to go, and we wanted to go, too."

Dante interrupted, "Messer? There's that name again." "Yeah, Judy's Jeremy's younger sister. Jeremy, Judy, Jennifer and eventually, Jasmine. Jasmine didn't show up until our senior year, which embarrassed the crap out of the other kids. Nobody wants to think of their parents as 'doing it'. Hilarious. Anyway, the three of us checked our funds to see how we could possibly make the trip. Not enough money for a plane ride, bus ride or train ride. Maybe a car rental but we were too young to rent a car and none of us had a drivers' license. We didn't think we'd be able to go and then that Friday afternoon, Pippa pulls up in a clean, badass black Monte Carlo. Now like I said, none of us had a license to drive. Pippa tells us, 'Pack a bag and tell your parents you'll be staying at my house.' So we did. We drove all the way from Philly to AC, laughing and acting like maniacs because we were so happy we were going to be able to join the group. When we got there, there was a bonfire going on the beach and the booze was flowing, but we had to be covert because we were all underage so the liquor was disguised in various soda cans and bottles. We had to leave the beach at ten o'clock so we had the oldest looking seniors rent two motel rooms and we all snuck in when the guy at the desk wasn't watching. Seemed like it took forever for all of us to finally get in the rooms. We slept wherever we could after drinking all night.

Next afternoon, we're heading home after spending the morning at the beach and on the boardwalk. We're about twenty minutes into the trip when I remembered to ask, 'Hey, Pips, where'd you get the car?' 'From Alex,' she says. Instant fear and panic sets in and Judy and I are suddenly scared to death. We thought, even though she didn't have a license, that her parents got her the car. It wouldn't have made sense for them to do that, but that's what we were thinking. Alex, Pippa's older brother, worked in a chop shop. Everybody knew that. So in other words-"

"In other words, you're most likely riding around in a stolen car."

"Exactly. Now on the way to AC, we had been telling Pippa, 'Drive faster! You drive like my grandma!' and stuff like that. On the way home, we're all paranoid and saying, 'Slow down, Pips! Oh, my God, there's a cop over there—he's looking for us!' and stuff like that. We were afraid we'd get pulled over before we could make it home, but we didn't. Judy and I got dropped off at our houses after making a pact to never speak of it to anyone. Whenever anyone else who went to AC asked where the car was, she told them her parents changed their minds and returned it. We kept the pact. I think other than those two and Jeremy, I've never talked to anyone about it until now."

"Riding around in a stolen car—kind of wild. It passes."

"Why, were you some kind of wild child or something? What was the wildest thing you've ever done?"

"You have met Olivia Falconeri, haven't you? There was only so much 'wild' you were gonna get before she handed you your ass. The wildest thing I've ever done as a kid was get drunk and go bungee jumping at Coney Island. Me and my friends were daring each other to do it and I, after much 'Dutch courage' got the nerve to go first. They take you like, a hundred and fifty feet in the air or something and let you drop. I was screaming my head off at first and then I started puking my guts out. It was a mess and my friends were pissed because I stunk up the car on the ride home. I was sick for two days after that. My Ma kept on saying, 'Honey, what's wrong? I'm gonna take you to the hospital, ok?' And I was just begging her, 'Ma, leave me alone!' while I hung over the side of my bed with my head in a bucket. Probably one of the wildest and the stupidest things I ever did as a kid." Val laughed as she pictured the event. "Somehow I can see that—you swinging back and forth, slinging puke all over the place. You're lucky your mother didn't kill you."

"I never told her. As far as she knew, I got sick from something I ate at a friend's house. I certainly couldn't tell her the truth. Sneaking off to Coney, getting drunk—yeah, I liked living, so I made sure she never found out."

"You didn't mention the sneaking part before."

"Didn't I?"

"No, you didn't."

"Oh. Obviously, I didn't have her permission to go. She kept me kind of close because she was always worried something would happen to me. I had to sneak to do a lot of things she never found out about."

"It's a close thing but since there was vomit involved, I guess you win the prize for the wildest child, although not by much."

"A prize, huh? What did I win?"

"You'll find out when we get home," she told him with a wink and a smile. "I have a feeling," he returned with a smile of his own, "that I'm gonna enjoy my 'prize' very much. Can't wait to see if I'm right."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	33. Chapter 33

Ch. 33

The first thing Val did when they arrived back at the penthouse was to suggest to Dante that he go and change out of his wet clothes. Even though they both had gotten wet, somehow, he seemed to be the wetter of the two. "Here's an idea," he told her in response, "why don't we go up together, grab a shower, get warmed up…" "Which would work perfectly, except…" she reminded him, nodding in Rocco's direction. "You go up first and get changed, and then we can plan the rest of the night." After Dante dashed up the stairs to comply, Val glanced down at Rocco and asked him, "So what should we do while we're waiting for your daddy? I know, let's go to the kitchen to see what we're going to eat tonight." She took his hand and guided him to the kitchen. "Hmm. I don't know what your dad has in mind but for me, the best rainy day meal is soup and sandwiches. Maybe a small salad to go along… Do you like salad, Rocco?" "No," he said, shaking his head. "No," she agreed, "I didn't think you would." She began pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator and cupboards, muttering as she went along, "Let's see. We've got turkey; we've got ham, a bit of chicken. Cheese, definitely. What kind of bread?" In the middle of her musings, she heard Dante calling out, "Hey Val? Where are you?"

"We're in the kitchen, Dante," she called back. "What are you guys doing?" he wondered. "Trying to find something for supper. I was telling Rocco the best meal for me on rainy days is soup and sandwiches so I wanted to see what we had here. I have canned soup—I think homemade soup would take too long to fix. What do you think? Will this do, or do you want something more?"

"Soup and sandwiches sounds good to me. I'll work on this while you go put on something dry." Val reached into one of the lower cabinets and pulled out a huge pot, after which she rummaged around in one of the drawers for a large spoon. "What's that for?" Dante asked in puzzlement. "To keep little hands busy while you make this stuff. I figured if he was occupied-"

"Good thought," he agreed. They watched as Rocco happily banged away on the aluminum pot with the wooden spoon. Dante winced as he banged harder, reminding Val, "I'll remember this was your idea." "Ok, ok," she replied hastily, "I'll go change and then let's hurry and get this done. The sooner he's got something else to focus on, like food, the sooner the 'concert' will end." She went upstairs, quickly changed clothes, and then returned to the kitchen. A while later, a mini feast of tomato soup, ham and turkey with cheese sandwiches and apple slices was prepared. Dante was placing the plate of sandwiches on the little table in the kitchen when Val told him, "Hold on—I had a different thought. You two hang tight in here, and I'll be back in a minute." She ran out of the kitchen and Dante looked at Rocco, wondering, "Now what do you think she's up to?"

When she returned to the room, Val reached into one of the cabinets and retrieved two breakfast trays. She told them, "Let's see how coordinated we are. You carry the soup and apple slices on one tray and I'll take the sandwiches on another. Since Rocco's here, we'll have milk for now and if you're very good, maybe some wine later." "Milk? Seriously?" "Yes, seriously. For Rocco's sake, milk now, wine later. I think you'll live." Walking gingerly, they carried their bounty to the living room where Val had spread out a blanket in front of the fireplace. "I thought that was a real fireplace," Dante said as he gazed at the low flames. "It's gas," explained Val, going on. "I know it wasn't real cold today, but it's these kinds of days that, to me, go best with a fire burning in the fireplace. Something about the rain and a warm fire—so cozy." Settling down on the blanket, Dante helped Rocco with his meal and they all tucked in, munching happily. "An indoor picnic—good idea. What made you think of it?"

"It's one of those things my mom and I liked to do sometimes. A bug-free picnic, my favorite kind. One of the best things to do also is listen to recorded programs while indoor picnicking. We could have watched tv of course, but having to listen without the visuals to go along made it seem, I don't know, more exciting. It was different because we didn't do it often, so I always considered it to be a treat. We'd crack open the window in the front room just enough to make it seem like we were in the middle of the rain. It sounded so loud when it fell from the porch roof to the ground. But we'd be safe and dry inside, eating our soup and sandwiches. God, I loved that. Those were some of the greatest times-" She stopped speaking suddenly and took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. Knowing what she was thinking, Dante rubbed her leg and pointed out, "As long as the traditions are kept and passed on, your mom is remembered, right? Isn't that kind of what you told me about passing my love of baseball on to Rocco? I don't want you to feel sad, Val. Think of it this way—your mom would probably be happy you have someone to keep the tradition with."

Val brightened as she listened to his words, saying, "Thanks for that, Dante, really. Right now, I'm happy and my mom would be glad I'm happy. Glad that I have someone to share this with. Hmm. Now, for the other part of the evening's activities, since we're done eating…" Turning the television on, she flipped through the channels until she found WordWorld, causing Dante to squint at her in consternation. "Oh, come on! You're kidding, right?" he queried. "This isn't about us, Dad. We're grownups; we can handle a little goofiness. This is for Rocco, and look at him," she added, nodding at Rocco, who was entranced as he stared at the screen. Leaning their backs against the bottom of the couch, Dante placed Rocco in between them. Watching Val from the corner of his eye, he slid his arm across the couch and around her, pulling her a bit closer to him, whispering in her ear, "As payment for this torture, I expect my prize to be huge. HUGE. Somewhere, there's a game with my name on it that I'm missing out on." She whispered back, "But see how happy he is? Isn't that worth more than some game? He's happy, he's quiet, he's focused-" Dante halted her words by softly kissing her. "Thanks for doing what you do to make sure he's comfortable when he's here, Val. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I told you, I want him to like being here. The more comfortable he is, the more comfortable you can be bringing him here. That works for all of us, I think."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Several episodes later, Rocco's head slowly fell forward, giving the sign that he was tiring. "You take him up and I'll clear up here and then join you," Val said quietly, rising from the floor. Scooping him into his arms, Dante carried Rocco to the nursery to get him ready for bed. Val took the dishes into the kitchen and rinsed them, putting them in the dishwasher. She folded the blanket and took it upstairs with her, placing it in the linen closet in the hallway. She then crept into the nursery where Dante was gently rocking his son as he sat in the rocking chair. "Is he asleep?" she whispered. "I think so," he murmured in response, adding, "I'm going to rock him for a while longer to make sure." She nodded and then said, "I'll wait for you in the bedroom then." He gave her the "ok" sign with his fingers and she silently left the nursery, walking across the hall to the master bedroom. While she waited, she thought of what she wanted to give Dante for his "prize" and she moved to the bathroom to prepare it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante heard the light splashing coming from the bathroom as he walked into the bedroom. Realizing Val wasn't waiting in the bedroom as promised, he undressed hastily, pulling on his robe before going into the bathroom. He chuckled when he saw her sitting in the middle of the spa tub full of scented, gently swirling water. His eyes widened when, with her index finger, she gestured for him to join her. Before he could take one step, she stopped him, saying, "Wait. Go get the monitor and come back. I think we'll be able to relax better if we know we can hear him." Conceding the point, Dante retrieved the baby monitor and then returned to the bathroom, setting it down on the counter. "Now, where were we?" asked Val, continuing, "Oh, yeah, we were here," she reminded him, motioning once again for him to get in beside her. Dropping the robe on the rug nearest the tub, Dante climbed in and settled down into the warm water next to her. "Mmm," he hummed softly, "this feels good. What's that scent?" he asked after sniffing the air.

"All kinds of things, all intended to excite the senses."

"Really? It's working," he said, sluicing a handful of water over his arms and chest. "Or maybe it's because we're both naked and wet, sitting together in this huge tub. Finally." Without warning, he reached for her, splashing the water slightly as he lifted her onto his lap. "Dante," she exclaimed, "There's enough room for-"

"I want to hold you. Do you mind? I've been fantasizing about getting you in this tub ever since I saw it," he explained, scooping more water in his hand and spilling it out onto her breasts. "Tell me more about this scented water," he insisted.

"It's actually called 'Sex Bomb Bath Bomb,' if you can believe that. It's advertised as an aphrodisiac," she answered, arching her neck when he poured more of the water across her skin and rubbed it in with his hand.

"It's perfect," he purred, deeply inhaling the skin at her neck while lightly pinching her nipples, fondling them until they hardened into little points. Tilting her head back, he captured her lips with his, kissing her over and over. With a sigh, she returned his kiss, after which he teased her lips apart, his tongue tangling languidly with hers. As the kiss intensified, his hand moved down toward the center of her body and she gasped into his mouth as one and then two fingers slid into her. "Dante!" she cried out, her back automatically stiffening at the intimate contact.

"Shh, it's ok, Val. Let me. Let me take you over the edge first," he breathed into her ear while he worked her with his hand, starting slowly and then moving faster. Panting heavily, her eyes closed tightly as he goaded her closer and closer to a climax. Dante watched her facial expressions, using them as a guide to tell him how close Val was to an orgasm as he manipulated her. She shook her head as if trying to escape the sensations that were beginning to wash over her, biting her lip and moaning intermittently. Gripping his arm, she was unable to hold back any longer and she came hard, her muscles rapidly tightening and releasing around his fingers. Whimpering softly, she ground her face in between his neck and shoulder, her body tense and shivering as she was inundated with little aftershocks. "Oh my God," she was eventually able to utter, gasping for air and slumping against him. She jerked again when his fingers slid out of her and he pulled her close, hugging her.

"Thank you," she was eventually able to say, going on, "I feel kind of bad that you didn't-" "Oh," he interrupted, "I plan to get mine. Ride me." Helping her reposition herself over him, he pulled her down quickly, entering her in one motion. He gripped her hips as she adjusted to the invasion, holding her still as she grunted softly. "Whoo. That was a lot at once," she told him in a low voice. "Too much?" he asked, preparing, if necessary, to pull back out. "No, but give me a minute," she replied, trying to relax around him.

"I love this," he said huskily, rubbing his mouth over her chest before latching on to her nipple and suckling gently.

"Love what?" she inquired, involuntarily arching toward his hungry lips.

"The way you feel surrounding me. You fit me like a glove," he told her, slowly flexing his hips up and down.

"Speaking of gloves, you're not wearing one."

"You're still wearing the patch—I'm not worried about it."

"But what if-"

"If anything happens, we'll deal with it then. I'm not worried about it," he reiterated. Unthinkingly, he went on to say, "Now you know I lo-" Just in time, he was able to finesse his words into, "love hearing your voice, but you're ruining the moment." Pulling her into a tight hug, his eyes widened and his heart beat accelerated when he realized what he had been about to say. He frowned as his thoughts began racing. He knew he cared about her but surely that was all it was, wasn't it? Were his feelings deeper than he knew? He had almost said out loud that he loved her. Somehow, his subconscious was aware of how he felt before he was. He loved this woman. How was that possible? In such a short time, she had wrapped herself around his heart, and he admitted the truth. He was in love with her. "Oh my God," he whispered.

"What's wrong, Dante?"

His emotions were swinging all over the place and he rapidly blinked his eyes as he felt them prick with tears. "Nothing's wrong, Angel," he huskily replied, "Everything's right. Everything's suddenly right." He felt an odd sense of joy overtake him and his hold on her hips tightening, he began raising and lowering her up and down on him. He encouraged her to follow his motions by saying, "Come on, baby, come with me." She followed him, her inner muscles squeezing him as they flexed repeatedly. He felt his orgasm rising and he spurred her on faster, gasping, "It's so good—it's almost too good! Oh, baby, you're takin' me over, can you tell? Faster, Angel, faster! Come on-oh, God, please—Val! Damn!" He held her still as he pulsed inside her, groaning against her shoulder, trying vainly to catch his breath while falling over that cliff edge. His actions caused a chain reaction in her and she came again, crying out as she felt herself letting go and flying away. Val put her arms around Dante and held him as she collapsed against him. He rocked her slowly back and forth and then laughed softly when he noticed all the water that they had splashed all over the floor.

"What's funny?"

"We made a bit of a mess on the floor, Angel." She looked over the side of the tub in dismay. "Oops, I guess we did."

"No big deal—it'll dry." He reached over and turned the jets off, causing silence to descend upon the room. Val cupped Dante's face in her hands and she looked at him, her head tilted to the side. "I guess you didn't get your wine."

"What I got was better than wine. I feel like I've had about three glasses of Sonny's finest. I can't tell you how good I feel. I want to stay inside you all night—is that doable?"

"We can't stay in this tub all night, Dante."

"I know that, but when we're in bed, I want you in my arms, and I want to be inside you. I want to feel connected to you all night long." Her hands tightened on his face and she frowned as she studied him fully. "Are you sure everything's ok?" she inquired.

"Honestly, I'm not sure how it could get better," he answered, smiling mysteriously.

"Then come on, let's get out of the water, my-"

"Your?"

"Nothing. Just 'mine'," she told him, using the sides of the tub to lift herself up and off of him and then stepping out.

"Just yours, huh? I like that," he replied, climbing out of the tub behind her. He pulled the plug on the tub and the water began slowly receding. Glancing around at the water on the floor, Val wondered, "Should we clean this up now?"

"No, let's do it later. Right now, I have a strong desire, a STRONG desire, to lie with you and hold you."

"I don't care what you say, you're acting strange," she said, regarding him suspiciously.

"Whatever," he responded, drying her first and then himself. He grabbed the baby monitor and then he grabbed her hand, pulling her into the bedroom. "I'm gonna go check on Rocco and then I'll be right back. You get under the covers and warm up." He left the room and she called after him, "And when you get back, you're gonna tell me why you're behaving so weirdly, right?"

"I doubt it," he called back, muttering under his breath, "Guys who just found out they've fallen in love act strange sometimes, that's all."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	34. Chapter 34

Ch. 34

"Dante. Dante!" Dante was being awakened by a gentle but insistent nudging of his shoulder. Frowning, he opened his eyes halfway and tried to focus on Val, who was leaning over him. "Mmm, good morning," he whispered to her, adding, "What's wrong?" before seeming to slide back into sleep. "Hey, Dante, seriously, wake up!" "Whatsa matter, Val?" "Your phone keeps going off—I think someone's trying to get in touch with you." "Ok," he murmured and then turned on his side away from her. Exasperated, Val bodily rolled Dante onto his back and shook him, asking, "Why can't you wake up? Did you hear what I said at all? Someone is trying to get your attention, and they keep calling you."

Finally fully opening his eyes, Dante stared at the ceiling as he tried to gather his wits. "I was up with Rocco a couple of hours ago—it took me a while to get him to go to sleep again. I guess when I came back to bed I just crashed out. Whew. What time is it? You said someone's been calling me? Did you see who it was?"

"It's a little after seven, and no, I didn't check your phone. It woke me at first but when it kept ringing and you didn't get it, I thought I'd better wake you up. Who is it?" Checking his caller ID, he said, "Oh, looks like Lulu called me. Three times. Hmm. Crap—Lulu!" He bolted upright in the bed, running his fingers through his hair in agitation.

"What's wrong with that?"

"I was supposed to meet her so she could take Rocco back with her this morning!"

"Ok?"

"At the loft, Val. I was supposed to meet her at the loft! She's probably there now, wondering where we are, since she doesn't know-"

"Oh. She doesn't know how much time you two have been spending over here. Well, you've got two choices at this point—either you wake Rocco and race across town to meet her at the loft, or you tell her where you are and have her come here." Dante held up his hand for silence as he listened to the messages Lulu had left. Eventually he uttered, "It's too early in the morning for this. She wants me to meet her at Maxie's with Rocco. It seems the super at my building told her I haven't been there in a while, and she wants to 'discuss things' with me. Damn. I'm not in the mood for this, at all."

"Hmm. I see. She probably wants Maxie to keep an eye on Rocco while you two talk."

"I get that, but I hate having to explain myself. I'm sure she's gonna be all pissed off about me letting Rocco stay over here with us."

"Well, she's his mom, but you're his dad. Be firm but don't back down. You haven't done anything wrong."

"I'll bet you anything she won't see it that way, though. Listen, I've gotta go deal with this. I don't know when exactly I'll be back, depending on how things go with her, ok?"

"Take your time—I'll be here." Val thought it was interesting that he was speaking as though explaining how he might be late coming home. Whether or not he knew it, he was beginning to think of the penthouse as his place, too. Leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek, she told him, "Go. And good luck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Met at the door by Maxie, he was told, "Don't bother taking him out of the stroller; I'm taking him to the lake to see the ducks. Lulu's waiting in the living room." She took the baby bag he had on his shoulder and rolled Rocco away, telling him in her high pitched way that they were going on a fun trip. He watched them walk to the elevator and then, sighing, he opened the door and entered the apartment. Lulu rose from the couch where she had been sitting to face him, unknowingly crossing her arms. "I see you finally got my messages," she began. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Rocco woke up early this morning and it took a while to get him back to sleep—I guess when I went to bed again, I went out like a light. I didn't even realize you'd called until-" He stopped himself in time from mentioning that Val was the one who alerted him to the phone calls he had missed.

"I went to the loft, since that's what we'd arranged. I knocked and knocked but no answer. I was kind of freaked out, Dante, when you didn't even answer your phone. That's why I went to get the super. I didn't know what was going on, and then he told me that you probably weren't even there. So I'm trying to stay calm here. He said you've been spending more time away from the loft lately. When you're with my son, I need to be able to get in touch with you, ok? Where were you?"

"I was at the penthouse, Lulu. And you're right—no excuses. You should have been able to reach me. I'm sorry I overslept and missed your calls. It won't happen again."

"What won't happen again? You being at the penthouse, or you ignoring my calls?"

"I didn't ignore your calls, I missed them. Not the same thing at all. I overslept. As soon as I realized what I'd done, I got us here as fast as I could. I'm sorry that you were worried."

"What were you doing at the penthouse? What was the super talking about, that you're hardly ever at the loft anymore?"

"I didn't know anybody was tracking my movements… It's kind of obvious what I was doing at the penthouse, isn't it? I was with Val, that's where she lives, so-"

"I don't want my son over at that penthouse with Valerie! That's not what we agreed to, Dante!"

"Wait a minute. Yes, he's your son, but he's mine, too, ok? Our agreement had nothing to do with where either of us is with Rocco—we both have custody of him. Whether he's at the loft or at the penthouse or somewhere else, when he's with me, he's in my custody. When he's with you, he's with you and when he's with me, he's with me. That's all."

"I'M TELLING YOU I DON'T WANT HIM AROUND HER! In case you're missing it, that's what I'm saying! I obviously can't stop what you do since you can't seem to leave her alone, but I don't want my son anywhere near her! I have no problem with him being at the loft with you, but I don't want him over there with her!"

"We're gonna have to compromise here, then. All I can offer you is this—when he's with you, he doesn't have to be near her. When he's with me, sometimes, she's gonna be in the picture. That's it, Lulu. The court agreement doesn't say anything different-"

"Then maybe I settled too soon," she muttered under her breath. "Excuse me?" he asked her. "I said maybe I settled too soon, then. Maybe I should have been more definite about this but I didn't think I had to be. Maybe we should have that put into the agreement—who we felt safe having him around."

"Safe? Are you kidding me? Val isn't a danger to Rocco, Lulu, and you know that. Don't let your personal beef with her let you get this thing twisted."

"She wrecked his whole life! In my opinion, she's been nothing but a danger to him ever since she showed up in town!"

"Ok, listen. You're getting off track here. Val didn't ruin Rocco's life. If anybody did that, we did. His parents did that. We're the ones who lied, who didn't trust, who cheated. You still need to hold her responsible for the part she did play. I get that. I'm not gonna try to take that from you. What I am tryin' to tell you here is that we're gonna have to compromise about her involvement in his life from here on. When he's with you, you don't have to worry about him bein' with her. When he's with me, though, she'll be there. Look, I don't care if Quartermaine's around him. As long as Rocco knows who his father is and as long as this guy doesn't try to take my place and he treats my son with respect, I don't care who you have around him."

"I've already told you Dillon's just a friend—the rest is something you've built up in your head to justify being with Valerie. There's no issue with Dillon being around Rocco. This woman has been nothing but a destructive force in my life since we met. I'm asking you to consider my feelings about her and keep her away from my son. I don't want to have to go back to court over this. I don't even want to fight about it. I'm asking you to respect the fact that I don't want her near him!" Dante frowned as he looked at Lulu incredulously. There didn't seem to be any way to reason with her but he had to try. "Lulu," he ultimately stated, "I think you're being unreasonable right now. I get that you don't like Val. I'm sayin' I understand that. But the rest of it isn't gonna work for me. Val's in my life and Rocco isn't just your son; he's mine, too. I'm tryin' to reach a compromise here, somethin' that'll work for both of us, ok? I don't think either of us want to end up back in court, do we? Did you forget how that was, what we went through with the custody drama with Maxie? I don't think either of us wants to go through that again. Havin' our private business dragged into the open for strangers to paw over and judge-"

"You mean private business like covering up a murder for a supermodel? That kind of private business?" "Whoa," Dante said softly as he slowly nodded his head, "Business exactly like that. I can't believe you went there. Yeah, that kind of stuff. Or like you 'self-defensing' a guy to death." Staring at him in total disbelief, Lulu exclaimed, "I was in fear of my life and you know that! Everybody knows that now! Logan was trying to kill me, and it was me or him!" "I know that but that doesn't make it sound any better. I'm sayin' we've been through this before and it was brutal. We don't wanna have to go there again, especially for somethin' we can agree on here and now. I don't wanna be bringin' up the past, Lulu, but if I have to, I will."

"Somehow, that sounds vaguely like a threat, Dante. I don't think any court would condemn me for defending my life if that information ends up getting mentioned again."

"Fair point. How about the fact, then, that with the exception of Lucky, who's off 'fightin' his darkness or somethin', your immediate family has either spent time in Shadybrook or is a Cassadine? Madness and instability all over the place. You don't want me goin' there any more than I do. Don't give me that look," he said, noticing the anger and borderline disgust in her eyes, "You're the one bringin' all this up. You're the one who mentioned goin' to court, just because you don't like my relationship with Val. Somehow, you thought all you had to do was tell me you want her to stay away from Rocco and I'd give in, I guess because that's what I always used to do. When that didn't work, you brought up goin' to court."

"Because I thought you'd be reasonable about my feelings, my concerns about my 'so-called' cousin. As much as I'd like to, I'm not demanding you stay away from her. It's obviously too late for that. Fine. I just don't want her around my son, and I'm asking you to honor my wishes."

"Once again, Lulu's way or the highway, huh? Listen to me, hear what I'm sayin'. There're only two answers here—we either compromise, or we go to court. And it's your choice. Val's not tryin' to take Rocco over or have any other place in his life than as the woman by my side. She doesn't want to be his mother or anything like that. I'm tellin' you that as long as he's with me, there's a possibility that she'll be there, too. What I'm also tellin' you is I don't wanna fight with you, but I will if you take us there. And I won't fight clean, Lulu, not this time. This is too important to me. I'm not losin' custody of my son because you've got issues with the woman I'm seein'."

"With the woman you're seeing. Wow. There it is, huh, all out in the open? You two are a 'thing' now? And you won't fight clean? Meaning what exactly?"

"Yeah, we're a 'thing' now. She's in my life and she's not goin' anywhere. Deal with that or not—that's up to you. And I won't fight clean means I've tried real hard to stay away from Sonny's business and the stuff he does to get what he has. He is there, though, and he does know people. I don't wanna involve him at all but I will, in order to keep my son."

"Ordering hits now, huh?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I don't mean anything like that! But he knows people—judges, lawyers, et cetera. And some of those people owe him favors. And in order for me to keep my son in my life, he'd be willing to call in some of those favors if I ask him to. I'm askin' for you to be reasonable. Don't make this have to get ugly, ok? You do you, I'll do me. I'm not gonna move on this because Val isn't a danger or a threat to our son, and you don't get to tell me who I can and can't have in my life. That's it. You decide where we go from here." Standing there looking at her ex-husband, Lulu suddenly realized that her current tactics weren't going to get her anywhere. Mentally changing gears, she thought that in order to get what she wanted, she was going to have to change her strategy. It really was easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar. Shaking her head, she said, "Ok. You win. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to tell you how to live your life. I don't want Valerie near my son, but that's my problem, not yours. I don't want us to end up in court telling the intimate details of our lives to strangers, either. I was hoping you could understand where I was coming from about Valerie and respect that, but you can't. I don't want to fight anymore, Dante. I'm not happy about any of this but there's nothing I can do, so I'm backing off."

Maxie was walking back into the apartment with Rocco when Lulu was adding, "So please, at least answer my phone calls, ok? I was worried, that's all. About both of you. We can agree on that, right?"

Dante was suspicious about her sudden about face but he chose not to call her on it. Nodding his head, he answered, "We can totally agree on that. I'm sorry that you were worried and that it seemed like I was ignoring you. I wasn't. I'll try harder in the future to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"That's all I can ask. How was he at Sonny's place? He wasn't upset or fussy?" Even more confused at the change in tone, Dante replied, "He was fine. He seems to like it there so he settled in pretty quickly."

"Where'd he sleep? I didn't think Sonny had anything set up for a toddler in the penthouse—not since Michael and Morgan were little."

"He had some furniture sent over—a whole nursery set up. So far, Rocco's been enjoying his room there. You know how Sonny is. He must have sent over every toy known to man!"

"That's good, then. If he's got to be there, I want him to be comfortable and happy, Dante. That's all I want. I'm sure we're on the same page there, right?"

"Of course, Lulu. We both want what's best for Rocco. If we work together, we'll be able to make sure he gets that."

"I agree with you." Lulu began walking to the door, signaling the end of their discussion. Dante lifted Rocco up and gave him a hug and a kiss before telling him, "I love you, Buddy. You be good for Mama, ok? I'll see you later." Looking back at Lulu he asked her, "So we're square, right?"

"Totally." Putting Rocco down on the floor he murmured, "Good. I'm glad we could work this out, Lulu, I really am." To Maxie, he added, "Thanks for watching him so we could talk, Maxie—I appreciate it." "Well I did it to help Lulu, but you're welcome." Nodding again, Dante finally left the apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wow. I was expecting to have to help you mop up the blood from the bloodshed but you guys seemed almost calm. So were you right? Was he with Val?"

"Oh, yeah, he was with her, all right. All nice and cozy over at Sonny's penthouse."

"Did you get him to agree to keep Val away from Rocco?"

"No. He wouldn't budge on that, even when I brought up going to court to get the custody agreement amended. For now, she wins. For now."

"What does that mean? I thought you weren't going to quit until you got him to agree to keep them apart?"

"I wasn't at first, but I decided to change my battle plan—redirect it."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I intend to get my husband back. I got him once, I can do it again. All I have to do is remind him why he fell in love with me in the first place. And after I do that, that skank won't be an issue for us anymore." Maxie was slowly shaking her head as she listened to Lulu's words. She finally remarked, "I don't think this is a good idea, Lulu. I think you're setting yourself up for some more heartache. Why would you want him back, anyway? He cheated on you, remember?"

"Because I'm not gonna let her get away with this. She destroyed my life and she needs to pay for that. She might have won the battle, but she won't win the war. I'm gonna get my husband back and then—let's just say I don't think she'll want to stick around after I get done with her."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	35. Chapter 35

Ch. 35

On the way back to the penthouse, Dante was mentally reviewing his conversation with Lulu. Her abrupt change in attitude had him concerned. He felt bad for thinking it, but he didn't trust her and he felt that she might have been trying to catch him off guard with her sudden agreement about Rocco. He had Sonny in his corner, true, but Lulu had Nikolas and the Cassadines were crazy. A call to Joe Stewart was in order, he thought, just in case. If nothing else, he needed advice on what to do if Lulu did try to take him to court over Rocco's custody. He really, really hoped she wasn't planning on ambushing him by pretending to give in about Val and then doing an end run around him. She was in for a rude awakening if that was her plan. In the past, he had always ended up giving in to whatever she wanted but those days were over. He was going to have to come up with some "plans" of his own…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val was waiting for Dante to come back to the penthouse when she received a text from Jordan. "Anna's back in town! A few of us r getting 2gethr 4 GDO. Come with. Tag back when u get this." Smiling, she called her friend, asking, "What's all this, then? What's the plan?" "We're looking at going out to lunch and a movie. It's just a few of us from the precinct getting together to celebrate Anna's return to town. And we're bored, so we thought we'd turn it into a girls' day out. What do you think? Are you in?" "It sounds like fun—I'm in. What's the movie?"

"We haven't decided. So far, it's between The Longest Ride and Far from the Madding Crowd. I'm leaning toward Longest Ride because I'm an Alan Alda fan, but I'm mostly in it for the mindless entertainment."

"Cool. Where's lunch? Should I dress up or be casual?"

"Casual. Mac Scorpio is Anna's family so she wants to go to The Outback. She wasn't here when they had their grand re-opening. We figured matinee first and then late lunch and drinks at the restaurant."

"That works. Dante and I went to the re-opening—I liked the place a lot. What's the time frame?"

"An hour, hour and a half-ish?"

"That's doable. I'm looking forward to it."

"Are you sure you don't need to check with Dante before agreeing to come?"

"Are you trying to be funny? Dante's not here, anyway, so he won't care—he's dealing with baby mama drama. Hmm. Now that I think about it, I've got something in mind for him… It'll be good to get out and do something with the girls for a change."

"Ok—Cinemark Ten. See you there." "See you." They hung up and Val got to work. She had a lot to accomplish in a short time…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante had just arrived at the penthouse and was shrugging out of his light jacket when Val descended the staircase. Head to toe, she was dressed in black and his heart skipped a beat when he took in the skinny jeans, the cashmere turtleneck and the knee high boots she was wearing. He stood and stared at her as she paused for effect on the last stair. "You see something you like, JM?" she asked him, smiling at the expression on his face.

"I see a lot I like, Angel. You're gorgeous, but you already know that. JM?" Val hesitated for a moment and then explained, "I'm not good at endearments—you might have noticed that. You call me 'baby' or 'Angel'; I thought you should have a name, too. So I thought of JM, which stands for 'Just Mine'. 'Honey' and 'Sweetie' don't seem to work for me but JM, Just Mine—it's perfect." "It's unique. I like it. You called me that last night, didn't you?" "Yeah, I did. It came to me and I liked it." "Just don't turn it into 'Jim' or anything, ok?"

"Wouldn't fit. JM or Just Mine—that's who you are."

"That works. Now where are you headed looking so fine? And smelling so—mmm—delicious? Come over here, let me get a deeper whiff… Whoa. What is that?"

"It's called 'Arpege'. You really like it?"

"I love it. If you didn't look so put together with your hair all up and everything, I'd show you how much I love it. What's the occasion, though?"

"Jordan called. Anna's back in town so a few of us are going to have a girls' day out, complete with matinee and lunch. I'm looking forward to talking with the famous Anna Devane. It should be an interesting day."

"So you're taking off? Maybe I should have gone to the loft, then, instead of coming back here, since you're leaving me all alone…"

"No, you did the right thing. And you won't be alone for long. In a little while, you're going to have some company. The Yankees will be on the tube soon, and a food delivery will be arriving soon, too. You'll have plenty to take your mind off of your loneliness without me. And when I get back, we can talk about how your meeting with Lulu went this morning."

"Sounds like a plan. Just curious," he went on as she picked up her car keys and prepared to leave, "You've got on black from bottom to top there. What about underneath? What's that looking like?"

Walking back to him she whispered in his ear, "I'll show you when I come home. I'll tell you this much. It's all black, it's all lace, and it's barely there. Let your imagination run wild." She bit his earlobe and then giggled. She started to walk away when he tugged her back. "I'll try not to smudge your lipstick but you've gotta give me a hug and a kiss before you go." "Walk me to the door, then. And I don't like smudging, so a peck is all you get until I get home." When they walked to the door, Dante pursed his lips for the promised peck so he was shocked when in one motion, she pushed him against the door and holding his head in her hands, took his lips with hers. When he gasped in surprise, she slid her tongue into his mouth and purposefully kissed him deeply. He was dazed when just as abruptly as she had kissed him, she pushed him away, saying, "Just to let you know-this stuff doesn't smudge."

He gave a short laugh and shook his head, replying, "You are a trip, you know that?"

"Gotta keep you off balance sometimes, Just Mine. Predictable can be boring, you know? See you later—gotta go. Enjoy your company." With that, Val sashayed out of the penthouse and with an over the shoulder wink, disappeared into the elevator.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shaking his head again, Dante closed the door and moved over to the couch to wait for the promised arrivals, whoever they were. He was in for a wild ride with this woman, he thought happily. And he looked forward to every second of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the doorbell rang and Dante answered it, he wasn't too surprised to see his brothers on the other side but when he saw his father, grandfather and uncle, his eyes widened and he stood back to let everyone in. "I'm assuming you guys are the company Val was talking about?"

"Yep," Morgan told him, adding, "The game's on, you've got a big screen here, plenty of room and a well-stocked bar," he finished, heading toward it.

"Take it easy, Morgan," his father told him, "Pace yourself." "I can handle my liquor, Dad." Sonny and Morgan stared at one another before Morgan amended, "Ok, most of the time. I'll be a good boy. Geesh."

Sonny gazed around the room after everyone sat down and Dante turned on the television to find the game. "She hasn't made very many changes around here, Dante. What's up with that?" "She didn't feel like she should, Sonny. She's still thinking of herself as a tenant. Up in the bedroom is where she let her personality come through the most. We've kind of made that room our own. And speaking of changes, what was the big idea with your little furniture delivery?"

Ric and Morgan spoke at the same time. "Furniture delivery?" "What furniture delivery, Dad?"

"Yeah, tell 'em, DAD." Sonny shrugged his shoulders and replied, "What's the big deal? So I had some baby stuff delivered—maybe I did it for Avery, ever think of that?" "Nice try, Sonny. No sale, though. Try again."

"Look, I might not live here but this is still one of my properties. So if the buildin' manager tells me that my son is spendin' a lot of time here, I do what I can to make that time more comfortable. If that means makin' things more comfortable for my grandson, well, I can do that, too. You don't like it?"

"I do now. At first, I thought Val had set everything up-" "You didn't give her a hard time over it, did you?" Dante nodded, but before he could speak, Sonny exclaimed, "What'd you go and do that for, Dante? Poor kid. If I'd have known it was gonna be a problem, I'd've told you about it first…" "You're wasting your pity on that 'poor kid,' Sonny. She set me straight quick, fast and in a hurry. When she gets riled up, she doesn't play." "Hmph. Serves you right, gettin' on her case like that." Looking incredulously at his father, Dante paused and then noted, "I guess she could've always called you for back up. Sounds like she's got a champion in you, Sonny." "I like her. I like her a lot, kid. Think she's a keeper, that's all, so treat her right." Dante was about to reply when the doorbell rang again. Val had called in a huge order from Tony Pepperoni's and the guys were ready for the feast. Ric rose from his seat to help Dante bring the food in and they set everything up on the dining table. "Thanks, Ric," Dante said, "Appreciate the assist." "No problem," Ric replied, "I'm grateful for the invite. You don't have an issue with me being here?" "Well, technically this is Sonny's place, but if he's willing to try to bury the hatchet with you, I don't have the right to keep the animosity going. We don't have that kind of history. Yet."

Passing around the wings and pizza slices, Michael mumbled around a mouthful, "Yeah, I've gotta agree with Sonny-Val's a keeper, all right, Dante. Can't believe she ordered all this! And cannoli, too! When you see her, tell her I'm in love!" "Yeah, you only love her because she bought you food! My reasons for loving her aren't that shallow!" Everyone's attention was momentarily diverted from the game and the food as all eyes fell on Dante. "What?" he asked, and then he realized what he had said. "Ok, ok, show's over," he told them, further saying, "Just watch the game." Sonny and Mike exchanged knowing glances and Sonny nodded as if to say, "See, I told you so."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While Dante and the guys were watching the Yankees beat the White Sox, Val and the girls were discussing the movie they had just watched over lunch at The Outback. "I've got to say, Scott Eastwood is one very good looking man," Anna was observing. "Agreed," Val said, "Though I think Ira's and Ruth's story made the movie. Eastwood is some serious eye candy." "I've always been partial to Alan Alda, myself," Jordan told them, shocking all but Val into momentary silence. "I know you're not choosing Alan Alda over Scott Eastwood?" queried Ellen Rogers, a detective with the PCPD.

"Looks wise, maybe not. Acting wise, all day, every day. I've had a mad crush on Alan Alda since the M*A*S*H days. I loved those old reruns when I was a kid—Hawkeye was my man." "Hawkeye, who had nothing at all to do with this movie," Anna remarked with a smirk. "Ugh, did I say he did? All I'm saying is that's where my Alda love came from."

Val cupped her hands into a mini megaphone and intoned, "Commissioner Ashford, step away from the past. Come into the new millennium with your hands up." Everyone at the table laughed except Jordan who said, "Girl, that's some messed up crap." "I'm just saying…" Val returned with a grin. She went on to add, "Luke and Sophia were cute and all but I think Ira and Ruth's love was much more grounded-" "Says the new love expert," Jordan broke in. "Ooh, touché," Anna remarked. "Ok, you got that one. Ouch, by the way," Val told Jordan.

Ellen nudged Davia Winters, another detective who had rounded out their entourage, under the table with her foot. Taking her cue, Davia asked Val, "So how did you manage it, Val, by the way?"

"Manage it?"

"Bagging Dante Falconeri. He and his wife have this love story for the ages and then you come along and suddenly, it's Flame City." Jordan jumped in with, "Huh uh, Dav, don't even try to go there-" Val held up her hand to silence her. "No, Jordan, it's ok. Flame City, huh? Not exactly the way it happened, Davia. And I can't even say that I 'bagged him,' even though we are together. We're really just two people who found each other when we were hurting and ended up deciding to try to make a go of things after his marriage imploded. I don't know, though. Maybe that 'great love' you thought you saw was only window dressing. And contrary to what everyone believes, I didn't break them up or target Dante-"

"Hey, I was just curious. No offense meant. You know how we like a good gossip at the shop…"

"Well, I don't know why anyone's still interested but if they are, you can tell them with my permission what I just said. And don't forget to add that a man who doesn't want to be 'bagged' can't be. If you know anything about Dante, you know he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do."

"You're right—let's drop it. I shouldn't have said anything. We were having a perfectly pleasant afternoon until I opened my mouth. I'm sorry." "I can tell you I appreciate the straight up approach more than being talked about behind my back, so thanks for that, anyway. But yeah, there's gotta be a more interesting topic of conversation than my relationship with Dante." "So let's find it, shall we? Anna, what do you think of the new Outback?" asked Jordan, deliberately changing the subject.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Valerie returned home later that evening, she was ashamed to say she was relieved to find the party had ended and Dante was alone. She gave him a half smile that didn't quite reach her eyes when she saw him sitting on the couch, watching game highlights. His welcoming smile fell when he noticed her expression. Sighing, he rose and walked over to her, kissed her cheek and then pulled her into a tight hug. "You look like you could use this, so even though I had planned to get on your case for coming home so late without leaving me a message, I'm not gonna now. What's wrong?"

"I went for a drive and ended up at the lake. I just sat there for a while, thinking. I don't really want to talk about it, though. Distract me. How was your party? Did your Yankees win?" "For the moment, you slide. Yes, my Yankees won—Severino was on point. Chicago only got one run. Thanks, by the way, for getting the guys here and for all that food! I don't even want to know how much that set you back. And there's not much left of it, either, so I hope you weren't looking for leftovers."

"I meant for you all to enjoy it—I was hoping there wouldn't be too much left. And you're welcome. I called Sonny and he rallied the troops, I guess. Who showed up?"

"My brothers, Sonny and Mike, and my uncle Ric. He was a surprise. He's actually a pretty funny guy. Dry witted as hell. We had a good time. Oh, yeah, and I'm supposed to tell you that Michael loves you."

"I don't think Sabrina will be happy to hear that." "It was strictly from the gut, literally. You fed him from one of his favorite pizza joints and remembered to add cannoli. He was in hog heaven. How was your movie?"

"It was good. I don't know if it makes my 'Best' list but if it came on Netflix or something one night, I wouldn't pass it by. And I was right—Anna is amazing. Some of the things she's done just boggle my mind. You've done undercover work so you might not be too impressed, but living the life of a spy, going on all those missions… I can't even imagine it. My life seems kind of pale compared to hers."

"Which is why you don't compare. Her path is not yours. Hell, you were gone for a couple of hours more than I expected you to be and I was trying to stay calm. I can't even imagine you being somewhere across the world doing something dangerous. That was the life she and Scorpio chose, I guess, and I don't mean to sound like a Neanderthal or anything, but I'm glad I don't have to deal with that."

"So if I told you I was playing around with the idea of becoming a cop with the thought of eventually going undercover, what would you say?"

"I'd say 'Angel, please tell me you're messing with my head right now,' probably. That's not why you needed to go to the lake and think, is it? Because I'll try really hard to be supportive and not be sexist if it was, but I really, REALLY don't want to think of you going undercover doing some dangerous assignment."

"It's ok for you but not for me?"

"Ok, listen. That was a long time ago for me. Almost seems like a lifetime ago, now. I was young, rash, full of myself and thinking I was invincible. Two or three hospital stays later, I'm not so reckless anymore. It has less to do with thinking you incapable of pulling it off and more to do with me not wanting to risk you."

"That's ok, then. Because I said I was playing around with the idea, not that I was full on planning to go for it. But if I decide to, I'd like to know that I'd have your support." Dante looked at Val for a moment before making a decision, asking, "Tell me. Did you happen to look up into the sky at all while you were out?"

"Not really. I was kind of stuck in my own head. Why?" "Before I tell you why, I need to know what's wrong. You were all happy before you left earlier. What happened to change things?" "It's not a big deal but we were all sitting around talking crap, razzing each other, having fun. Then Davia—you know her, right?" "'Long on mouth, short on manners' Davia? Yeah, I know her. What'd she say?" "The movie was about relationships, so of course, somehow, ours came up. She was wondering how I managed to 'bag' you when you were so in love with your wife. People looking in from the outside would think I went after you, I suppose. That I deliberately targeted you. I didn't, though. I hate having people think that's what I did. And I could tell them a million times that's not what happened, but they'll never believe it."

"Then why do you care? I don't. Come on, Angel. Come outside on the terrace with me for a bit." He held his hand out to her and with a small sigh, she put her hand in his. He guided her out onto the terrace and told her, "Now, look up." Val gasped and frowned as she took in the blood red moon, asking, "How did I not even notice that on the way home?" "I didn't even think you knew about it since you didn't mention anything. Did you know there would be an eclipse tonight?" "Someone mentioned it earlier in the week but I guess I forgot all about it. It's eerie, isn't it? It's awesome."

"It's beautiful, is what it is. A rare combination. A full moon, a harvest moon, a super moon, and a total eclipse—this one moon has it all. Get a good look at it—we might not see it again in our lifetimes. If we're blessed enough to see it again, we'll be much older than we are now. That's us, Angel. A rare combination where everything had to align perfectly in order for us to be what we are now. I'm grateful that I'm sharing this moon with you on this night, this maybe once in a lifetime night. I reached out to you when I was hurt and you reached back to me. We've been holding onto each other ever since. I don't care what other people say about how or why we're together. I love you, Valerie. I love you because of your smile, because of your grace, because of your heart. And because you don't put up with my crap. When you think of us, think of this moon, ok? Things had to go down the way they did in order for us to be where we are now. And I hope if we do get a chance to see it again, we're still together when it comes."

Leaning forward, Val kissed away the tear Dante didn't even know was sliding down his cheek as her own eyes flooded. She hugged him tightly and he wrapped his arms around her in return. They rocked each other and then, finally able to find her voice, Val whispered, "That was beautiful, Dante. What you said—it was just beautiful. And I am gonna just be grateful from now on, and not care what other people say or think. I love you. We love each other. We're very fortunate, very blessed, and very lucky. We took something that could have been a negative and turned it into a positive thing. You're right. We had to go through what we went through to end up together, here and now. I can't imagine not being able to do this-"

"Do what?"

"Hold you. Love you. Be loved by you. Just because we can." She turned in his arms and they stood there, staring up at the moon. Sighing again, Dante pulled Val closer to himself and murmured, "What a perfect night."

"You know what would make it even more perfect?"

"What, Angel?"

"If you say 'yes' when I ask you to move in with me."

"Are you askin'?"

"I'm asking."

"Then I'm sayin' 'yes'."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	36. Chapter 36

Ch. 36

In their bedroom, Dante and Val were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed. "So we're really gonna do this?" she asked. "What, are you regretting asking me already?" "Not even a little bit, but it is a big step…" "One I think we're ready to make. I'm just wondering, though-" "Wondering what?" "What I should do with the loft." "Hang on to it for now, I think." He scrutinized her face closely, asking, "Really? Are you sure you're not having second thoughts?"

"I'm not having second thoughts, Dante. I'm thinking I don't want you to give it up and end up wishing later on that you'd held on to it. I have confidence in us but we can't see the future…" "How well we know that. Ok, for now, I'll keep it. It's not like I can't afford the rent on it. I need to talk to Sonny, though." "Talk to Sonny? Why?" "I don't feel right about just moving in without telling him about it first. Most likely he won't care but getting his permission seems like the right thing to do." Val nodded in agreement and then changed the subject as she remarked, "You know, you never told me—how'd things go with Lulu? Was she pissed off that you weren't at the loft when she got there?" "She started off that way. She even brought up going to court to have the custody agreement altered." "Wow. Just because you were late? Sounds like a bit of an overreaction to me."

Hesitantly, Dante replied, "No, it wasn't just because of that…" His voice trailed off. "Oh, ok, tell me." "Her main issue seemed to be because we were here with you. It was weird. At first she was all adamant about Rocco not being near you but when I refused to give in to her and told her I'd fight her if I had to, she suddenly changed her tune." "Dante, I don't want to be the reason you lose your son-" "Listen, Angel, I'm not losing Rocco or anything else, ok? I'm not gonna be blackmailed into giving you up, either. I'm thinking she's so used to me giving her whatever she wants that she thought I'd roll over because she asked me to and agree to keep you and Rocco apart. I plan to call Joe Stewart about it tomorrow, just in case." Sighing, Val said, "Nothing's ever easy, is it?"

"Not when you're going after the things worth having, no. Regardless of what she does or tries to do, I know this much. I'm not losing Rocco, and I'm not losing you, end of. Now, before I get too sidetracked, you kind of made me a promise before you left for your girls' day out." "I don't have a clue what you mean." "Oh, yeah? Something about showing me how you were covered in black from head to toe, including underneath—you don't remember saying that?"

"I do vaguely recall saying something like that but now that I think about it, I'm not sure you could handle it, after all."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that? Go ahead, show me." Val leaned down and tried to remove her boots. Struggling, she told him, "Wow. If I can't get these boots off, I guess the rest of the show can't go on." Quickly, Dante was at her feet, grabbing ahold of a boot and tugging strongly. "You're not using that as an excuse, lady," he informed her, adding, "There you go" after having removed the other boot. Teasingly, Val walked over to the mirror and slowly began pulling the pins out of her hair while watching him through the glass. When the last pin was gone, she bent at the waist and gave her head and her hair a hard shake. She straightened up and tossed her hair, which was now a wild, tousled mane, over her shoulders. Flashing him a sultry gaze, she crossed her arms at the bottom of her sweater and unhurriedly lifted it up and over her head. Meeting his intent stare, their eyes locked as she unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. Nonchalantly, she slid her jeans down and off, leaving her in two miniscule scraps of black lace. Dante softly exhaled as he took in the low cut bra and lace G-string thong before shaking his head. "You were almost right; my heart can barely handle that. And speaking of barely, the only things that little bit of lace are supporting are my very fertile imagination and my increasing desire to get my hands on you. What's the point of wearing that, again?" He gestured for her to come closer to where he sat on the bed.

"Two points, really," she responded with a smile, continuing on, "One being the fact they make me feel sexy."

"Not that you need frilly lingerie to make you sexy. And the second?"

"To get that reaction," she answered, pointing to the center of his body where his erection was swiftly growing. "Well, since you were looking for a reaction," he said, grabbing and lifting her in one move before slamming her down onto the bed and leaning over her, "Let's see what you're gonna do with the one you just got."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Dante was tensely sitting behind the wheel of his car, casting occasional glances at Randy Hill, who seemed to be studiously staring out of the window to avoid eye contact. Unable to take the strained atmosphere any longer, Dante finally broke the silence, saying, "Ok, look, we need to get some things straight here. You don't like the way I handled things in Jersey. Fine. I don't like the way you went tattling to my lady about what happened out there-"

"I didn't run tattling to Val; I just wanted to discuss-"

"And that's another thing," Dante said, cutting him off, "we're supposed to be partners for the next few weeks. What happens in this car, what happens on the street stays between us unless it needs to go into a report. If I can't trust you to keep your mouth shut, how am I supposed to trust you to have my back?"

"Yes, sir, Detective Falconeri, sir. You got it, sir. I'll be sure to inform you beforehand the next time I talk to my friend."

"Sarcasm noted, Hill. Not appreciated, but noted. If you're gonna have a problem with me or the way I work, you might wanna talk to the Commish about giving you another assignment. I don't need some pissy, whiny newb bawling about everything I do out here to get the job done."

"Well I don't need some officious, overbearing cop who thinks busting heads and intimidating witnesses is good policing telling me that his way is the only right way. So I guess we're both stuck, 'cause I'm not a whiner, no matter what you believe. You'll go to the Commish before I do. You can trust me to have your back because it's my job to have your back. I don't have to like your methods to do my job."

"Then I guess we know where we stand, huh? Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut—maybe we'll make it through this."

For the first time that morning, Randy turned and looked squarely at Dante, wondering, "What's with all the 'mouth shut' business, Falconeri? You go around doing things on the street you'd rather not have people find out about?"

"I don't do any more or any less than any other cop who tries to get results. I just don't need some 'rat in training' questioning every move I make." "Rat in training, huh? I happen to think Internal Affairs serves a noble purpose so that wasn't exactly the insult you intended it to be." The car slid to a stop at a traffic light and Dante glanced over at Randy, nodding his head in sudden understanding, muttering, "Don't tell me. One of your cop family members was IA. That explains a lot."

"My father was IA—so what? Rogue cops and rotten cops bring down the tenor of the whole force and they shouldn't go unchecked. IA exists to police the police—to keep things balanced." "Yeah, you can go preach that IA gospel to some other convert, 'cause I'm not tryin' to hear it. What can a bunch of suits who've either forgotten or never known what the streets are like tell me? Nothin', that's what. I don't need them questioning my methods when I'm tryin' to get a child molester or serial rapist or even murdering scum like Joey Robbs, who tried to have my partner killed, put away."

"I don't see what your problem is. You're the one who told me you stay on the right side of IA, didn't you? Nothing I see you do or say about what you do should be an issue, then." As Dante accelerated again, he replied, "It's about trust, Hill, plain and simple. And I'm not sure I can trust you. And I'm not sure how much of that is you not liking the way I work, and how much is you being jealous that Val's with me and not you."

"This isn't that kind of personal."

"You sure? Couldn't prove it by me."

"I'll just repeat—you can trust me to do my job, which means if we have to go through a door, I'll be there to back you up. As for that other thing, you're flash, Falconeri. I know; I was blinded by it, too, once. Eventually, you show yourself, though, and you're not so much. Val's around you long enough, she'll see that for herself. And when she does, I'll be waiting, and for her, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."

"I hope you can wait a long time, Hill, because that's what you're in for—a long, long wait. I have no intentions of letting her go and she feels the same way about me. I can deal with a man who speaks his truth, so you got that one. If we can make it through the next few weeks without wanting to kill each other, so be it. First sign that you're gonna cause problems for me, though, and you're gone, assignment or no assignment."

"Fine."

"Great." Once again, Dante cursed his misfortune. Having to deal with Hill for one day was already proving to be torture; he couldn't fathom having to put up with several weeks of this crap…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hoping to catch Sonny in his office, Dante decided to take part of his lunch break at Pozzulo's. He knocked on the office door and was told to come in. He hesitated when Sonny motioned for him to have a seat while raffling off some instructions into the phone in Spanish. When Sonny hung up the phone, Dante asked, "Why do I have the feeling that whatever you were saying had nothing to do with the restaurant business?"

"Couldn't tell you. You don't speak Spanish?"

"I can understand some words and phrases here and there. I'm much better with Italian."

"Well that works for me, then. You don't need to know what I was talking about. What can I do for you? What brings you by?"

Dante rubbed his brow self-consciously. "I've gotta ask you something, Sonny. Or tell you something. Whatever."

"Shoot. What's up?"

"Val asked me to move into the penthouse with her. Before I even thought about it, I told her I would but then I realized I should have asked you for your permission first—what are you grinning at?"

"Nothin', nothin'. I'm happy for you, that's all."

"You're happy for me? Are you kidding me right now? What're you happy about?"

"I like Val, you know that. She makes you happy, which makes me happy. You're moving on, which is good to see. Sounds like things are gettin' serious for you two."

"Don't jump to any conclusions, ok? We're still taking things slow. It's just that we want to be together more often and I'm spending so much time over there anyway, it kind of makes sense."

"Hey, well, I don't have a problem with it. Whadda you plan to do with the loft?"

"Val wants me to hold on to it, so I'll do that for the time being."

"VAL wants you to hold on to it? That girl's got brains—I like that about her."

"You do, huh? Well I thought it was strange, as if she didn't have faith in our chances of making it."

"I doubt that's it at all, Dante. She's been through a lot of changes lately so she knows how quickly a situation can flip. Sounds like she's just bein' cautious, not unsure. Don't read too much into it—that's the fastest way to mess somethin' up."

"Either way, we're gonna go for it, see what happens. Thanks, Sonny."

"Thanks for askin', even though you didn't have to. I hope it works out for you both. Findin' someone you can love, wantin' to be with that person no matter what, dealin' with the joy and the drama of havin' that person around—that's what it's all about, kid."

"Are we talking about me and Val or you and Carly?"

"Both, kid, both. Carly and I, we've been through a lot together. At some point, you just realize that the reason you can't totally quit this person is because there's a deep love that's got ahold of you, and it ain't lettin' go. Inevitable, meant to be-type stuff, right? Once you stop fightin' it and accept it, it's the best thing goin'. Check this out." Sonny slid a brochure across his desk toward Dante, who picked it up and read, "The Inn on Broadway. Hmm. Rochester, Sonny? What's up with that?"

"Carly and I've been married four times already. This time we wanted something different and new, to go somewhere we've never been before, to get married. We're lookin' at the eighteenth, finally. This's the plan. We all go down on the Saturday before and check in at the inn. There's a steakhouse down there that supposedly has the best steak goin'. After that, since Josslyn will be with us, we're all goin' to see some play, 'Potted Potter' or somethin' like that. Next mornin', get up and get ready, early afternoon, get married, reception at the inn, we take off for the honeymoon, everyone else does whatever. We kinda wanted to turn it into an event, somethin' everybody will remember for a long time. So now you've got the heads' up. Invitations should be in the mail in the next couple of days."

"So you're finally making it happen? It sounds like we're all gonna have a great time. Who's marrying you?"

"I got a guy who's a judge and owes me a favor. He's traveling over with us to perform the ceremony."

"You guys thought of everything."

"Hey, that's why it was takin' so long for us to set a date. Everything had to be perfect, especially with this inn deal. Had to make sure everything would fall into place the way we wanted it to, when we wanted it to."

"This guy, this judge. He only owes you one favor?"

"Why, you need somethin'?"

"I might. I was late getting Rocco back to Lulu this weekend and she was waiting for me at the loft, which was where we'd planned to meet. I'd forgotten about that and overslept, though, so when she showed up, she was pissed that we weren't there. She left me a text to meet her at Maxie's and when I got there, she started talking about going back to court and having the custody agreement changed because she doesn't want Rocco around Val and she was angry that I had him over at the penthouse. I told her I'd fight her if I had to. Told her I'd involve you if I had to-"

"Damn right. Whadda she think, that she's gonna take your kid away from you 'cause she doesn't like your girlfriend? That's not gonna happen, Dante, you don't even have to worry about that-"

"Hold on, Sonny, slow down. I think I talked her down, but I'm not sure. I'm hoping she meant what she said about thinking better of it and not going to court after all, but I don't want to take any chances. I figured I ought to let you know what's going on in case I need your help."

"Wow—she's really somethin' else, isn't she?"

"She's just used to me giving in to whatever she wants, that's all. It's amazing, though. I didn't even know that's what I was doing all that time. Of course you want to make your wife happy so you do whatever you can to make that happen. I don't think it hit me until after we broke up that I always went along to get along. Since that wasn't happening this time, I think she thought she'd scare me into doing what she wanted, which was keeping Val away from Rocco, by threatening me with a custody battle. When she realized I wasn't gonna budge, she totally flipped the script and started talking the 'we both just want what's best for our son' stuff. I can't tell where she's coming from on this but I did tell her I would fight her, and fight dirty, if I had to."

"And 'fight dirty' means involvin' me?"

"Not necessarily, Sonny, but I needed her to know I wouldn't hesitate to use every resource I had to make sure I don't lose my son. And that does include you."

"I'm glad you felt you could come to me with this, son, I really am. I'm hopin' she sees sense and works somethin' out with you but if she doesn't, anything you need, you got."

"Thanks, Sonny. I'm thinking it won't get to that but in case it does, it's good to know you'll have my back."

"Always, kid. Always. Because I'm your dad, and that's what dads do, right?"

"Right. Thanks, Sonny." Looking away for a moment, Dante briefly closed his eyes before reopening them and turning back to Sonny. "Thanks, Dad," he finally said, adding, "I appreciate it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	37. Chapter 37

Ch. 37

Putting the finishing touches on their special project, Val and her admin co-workers were feeling celebratory. A lot of hard, tedious work had gone into inputting the old case files into the PCPD database and they congratulated one another on a job well done. In the middle of their celebration, Randy entered the basement, searching for Val. He was on his lunch break and he had some amends to make with his friend. Approaching the mirthful group, he asked, "Did I miss something? What're you all so happy about?" "We're finally free of the basement, that's what. The PCPD database is updated and operational. Any file you need to see from any year since files have been kept here are now in the computer," Val responded gleefully. "Every file since the beginning of the PCPD? Wow. That had to be excruciating work, I'll bet. Good job, everyone." "You have no idea, Randy! It's a relief to be done with this project, at last! Now on to the next thing, whatever the Commish has planned for us… Never mind that; what brings you to our dungeon?"

"Yeah," he answered slowly, "about that. Can I talk to you privately for a minute?" Hesitating for a moment, Val reminded him, "Ok, the last time we talked started with the same question, so if this is about to be a repeat-" "No, it's not. Just the opposite, in fact." They walked from the basement up the stairs to the hallway and paused. Turning to her, Randy said, "Listen, Val, I feel like a major jerk. I asked to talk to you the other day and then acted like a spoiled brat because I didn't like what you had to say. I'm sorry—that's what I wanted to tell you. Maybe I am a naïve little kid, after all."

"I never called you that, Randy. I'M sorry if I gave the impression that that's what I thought of you. I thought your outlook was a bit naïve, but you're entitled to believe whatever you want to. It was just a misunderstanding between us."

"So we're friends again?" Laughing, Val said, "We were never not friends, Randy. I think we're a little more solid than that-than to let a disagreement end our friendship."

"So can this friend buy you some lunch? A 'thanks for accepting my apology' lunch?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Ok, I don't have to. I want to. You in?"

"Sure-why not? What'd you have in mind?"

"How about Kelly's? It's not far from here and they're quick with service, so we won't be late getting back."

"I like Kelly's. Let's go. My car or yours?"

"Let's take mine."

During the short ride to Kelly's, Val asked, "How is it going partnering with Dante? I know you had soured on the idea after your trip to New Jersey…"

"We've come to an understanding of sorts, I guess, so it is what it is. We have some fundamentally different ideas when it comes to police work but that won't keep us from doing our jobs."

"That's good. I like it when my two favorite men get along." "I'm actually included on your list of favorite men?" "Are you kidding? Of course you are. Other than Dante, you were one of the first friends I made here. You took me to Jake's and helped me blow off steam when I was at a low point. Plus you bought me my first butterscotch latte! I don't take that lightly." "Oh, ok. I was honored that you actually came out with me. I never thought I had a snowball's chance of that until you said 'yes'. And I told you, the butterscotch latte reminded me of you." They arrived at Kelly's and after finding seats, they placed their orders. While they waited for their food, Val remarked, "You don't strike me as someone with a self-esteem problem, Randy. You were right—your mojo is quite strong. If I hadn't already been interested in someone else, who knows what might have happened?"

"Hmm. Sounds like you're actually saying I might have had a shot if I'd met you first." "Maybe so. We had fun that night at Jake's. You're funny, you're a good dancer and you have what my mom called 'old-fashioned manners'." "Old-fashioned manners'? Does that mean I act like an old man or something?" he teasingly wondered. "No, silly, it means you know how to treat women. As old-fashioned as that sounds. You're a good date."

"That's a compliment and a half. Thanks."

"You're welcome. You have a lot to offer the right someone."

"You think so?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe it." Finally receiving their meals, they began eating. After swallowing a bite of his burger, Randy confessed, "Well, there is someone I've got my eye on but so far, it's been a no go." "Who is it? Someone at the station? Maybe I can run interference, put in a good word-" "No, thanks. I prefer to make my own running. If I do it right and have patience, in time she'll look my way." "I wish you luck, not that you'll need it. I have complete faith in your skills!" They laughed together and finished their lunches. "Yeah," Randy thought inwardly, "If I do it right, you'll eventually see that I'm the best choice for you, not Falconeri."

Randy realized Val had been speaking to him in the middle of his musings when she touched his arm. "Sorry, I was thinking about something else—what did you say?" "I was just asking if you were ready to go back to work. I wanted to get one of those checkerboard brownies before we left, though." Simultaneously, they bent over the table to remove their trash and their heads collided with an audible "thud," causing them both to begin laughing uproariously. "Ouch! I don't know whose head is harder, yours or mine!" exclaimed Randy, wincing. "Judging by that knock, I'd say we're equally hard-headed," Val retorted. Still giggling, she noticed the red spot forming on Randy's forehead and before she could think better of it, she reached up and rubbed it in sympathy after brushing his hair out of the way. "Whoa," she told him, "that's really gone a deep shade of red! Poor thing." A voice from somewhere over her shoulder stated, "Aww, young love is the best! So romantic! The way you're stroking his poor, bruised head—too sweet." Val turned around and saw Lulu, who was looking back at them with a smirk. Lulu continued, "Hey, Randy. I see you've got yourself quite the little bee; she flies from flower to flower, collecting all the—pollen—she can get. You must be the flower of the day—lucky you." To Val she added, "Geesh, Cousin, even for you this seems ambitious! Running two men at the same time! But then, why limit yourself, huh?" Val was about to respond to her when Randy interrupted with, "Val and I are just friends, Lulu—don't get it twisted. I know you two have your issues but I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my friend like that in front of me. And I don't know you real well but I've gotta tell you, 'catty' isn't your best look. Just saying." Catching Val's eye, he finished, "Let's go, Val, so we don't end up being late." Giving Lulu a short nod and a tight smile, he placed his hand on Val's back as he guided her from the restaurant.

"You didn't have to do that, Randy. I can stick up for myself," she said quietly. "I know you can; I don't doubt that. I didn't like the way she approached you, though. It's like she was going out of her way to be nasty, which I thought was unnecessary. I just told her so, that's all." "Yeah, you sure did. Thanks. It's always nice to know when someone has my back."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Not too long before the end of the shift, Dante received a phone call from Lulu. "Hey, Dante, got a minute?" "Yeah. What's up? Everything ok?" "Everything's ok, except—have you seen Mr. Trunks lately?" "Rocco's stuffed elephant? I thought I remembered seeing it with his stuff over the weekend. Why? You don't have it?" "No, I can't find him. He had a hard time going to sleep last night and I couldn't figure out why. I finally noticed he didn't have Mr. Trunks. I looked through everything here, but I didn't see him. Do you think you can look for him on your end and bring him over if you find him?" "Yeah, of course. What time do you want me to bring it by?" "Since your shift's almost over, as soon as you find him, if you don't mind." "I can do that." "Thanks, Dante. Oh, and don't go out to the docks. I've gotten an apartment in Maxie's building, a couple doors down from her. I'm still moving in, so bring him over here, please." "What's the apartment number?" "72." "Ok. As soon as I find it, I'll head over."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Dante arrived at Lulu's new apartment, he paused outside the door and listened. If he wasn't mistaken, Musetta's Waltz from La Boheme, his favorite opera, was being played. Since when, he wondered, does Lulu listen to opera? He knocked on the door and a short while later, Lulu answered his knock. Breathlessly she said, "Come in. Whew! Moving furniture is hard work! I think decorating is even worse—I've moved that one couch three times! I think I'm finally satisfied with where it's at." Gesturing to her clothing, which consisted of a Yankees baseball jersey knotted at the bottom and a pair of high cut jean shorts, she remarked, "I know I look kind of grubby but moving is also hot work! I wanted to be comfortable so I wouldn't be tempted to quit before I'd finished. Oh," she went on, pointing to the stuffed elephant, "I see you found him. Good. Hopefully, Rocco'll be able to sleep better tonight. I can't believe what a difference one toy makes! So, what do you think?" she eventually concluded, inviting him to inspect her handiwork. "It looks good. You've made some interesting color choices…" He trailed off after taking in the light grey couch with the pink and white pillows. "Well, the grey is for Rocco, the pink is for me, and the white is for us both. I didn't want it to be overly girly since he's got to live here, too. You'll have to see his room before you go! It's got a Yankees baseball theme. I may have gone a bit overboard but I want him to be happy in there. He's laid his head in a lot of different places lately. I wanted him to know that this room is all his." "I'll definitely check it out," Dante replied, adding, "Yankees theme, huh?"

"Yeah. The Falconeri-Corinthos tradition will continue! I want Rocco to fit in with you guys on game days. It'll be good if he can share the Yankee love with his grandfathers and uncles—I want him to grow up being a fan. You don't approve?"

"You know better than that. I'm even grateful you're going through the trouble. I didn't know you were planning to move, though."

"I wanted to be closer to town. And I did tell you that I wanted to be on my own and stop depending on my brother. I also thought going back and forth on the launch every day was getting to be a little much. I think Rocco's developed a love of boats, though, and he likes the water, so he got something positive out of our time at Spoon Island," she said, chuckling.

Dante nodded, mentioning, "It's also more convenient for me to be able to get him when it's my turn to have him; I think this move was a good idea." Frowning slightly, he pointed to the dock where her phone was playing the La Boheme soundtrack before he asked her, "Since when do you listen to opera?"

"For a while now. I usually listen to it when Rocco is here. I want him to develop an appreciation for it. I just remember how bummed I was that you were taking me to the opera on our first date until I actually saw and heard it for myself. I fell in love with it that night. Do you remember that?"

"Of course I do. I also remember you wanted to go to Butter instead. I had to convince you that the opera was better than any old nightclub. But yeah, you ended up being glad we went."

"Exactly. I want Rocco to be able to say that some of his first memories are of hearing and loving this music. This is something he can share with both of his parents."

"Wow, Lulu. I'm sort of impressed, here. The Yankees AND opera? I didn't think they were necessarily your favorite things, though."

"You taught me to appreciate them both and I want to make sure Rocco loves them, too."

"Okaay. Sure. Is he here?"

"No, he's with your mother. I took the day off because I've been using the time to move in here. She offered to watch him so I could get it all done without interruptions. She's gonna bring him back in a little while—we'll have dinner then."

"Dinner? Is that what I've smelled ever since I walked in here? Did you actually cook?"

"I'm working on learning how! I'm still hoping Olivia hasn't given up completely on teaching me! She brought this over, though. It's her three and three lasagna. Something else I want Rocco to grow up with—Italian cuisine."

"Ohh, hurt me! Her three and three lasagna? Wow. Her lasagna is almost as good as her braciole! But really, Italian food, the Yankees, opera—those are my favorite things, not yours. Why are you going through all this trouble?"

"Those were some of the things we had planned to share with him anyway, when we were still a family. I don't want him to miss out on them just because of our current situation. Don't worry. I'll make sure he also gets the Spencer love of adventure and self-reliance. He has a lot of good things in his heritage from both of us. If I have my way, he's gonna be a very well-rounded kid!"

"I appreciate the way you're deliberately including things that are important to me as well in his upbringing. I'm surprised by it, if I'm being truthful."

"Rocco deserves the best I can give him—he deserves that from both of us. I'm gonna do my part to see that he gets it, from me at least. You seem skeptical, though. You doubt my motives or something?"

"I don't mean to seem doubtful. I am a bit thrown off by your attitude change, though. Don't get me wrong—I'm glad we seem to moving to a new understanding between us. It just seems sudden."

"It's not. I've done a lot of thinking and self-examination lately. I want what's best for Rocco more than I want to keep the drama and anger going. One of the greatest gifts we can give to him is to see us getting along, isn't it?"

"Yeah, totally. I agree with you all the way. We should be trying to give him the best of us and if you want to include the things I love as part of that—well, I can't find fault with it. I can't believe you're willing to try to learn how to make Italian food again, though! That's kind of 'above and beyond,' I think! Since his grandma loves to cook, you could just let that be her contribution to his childhood memories, the way my Nonna's cooking is for me. Ma made her three meat, three cheese lasagna, huh? You should feel honored. It usually has to be a special occasion for her to bust that out! What are you all celebrating—the move in?"

"That, and the fact that she's thinking about moving in with us. She really wants to bring your little brother home and work things out with Julian. We thought if we lived together, we could help each other with the boys. That's why I took the larger apartment; there's enough room for all of us."

"Hmm. I can't see the two of you living together, Lulu…"

"I don't think there'll be a problem and Olivia doesn't, either. We get along, we love each other and if she moves in with Maxie just down the hall, it'll be perfect, especially when Maxie has Georgie with her. Three women helping each other get it done. If we can make it work, that's something to celebrate. You're welcome to stay for dinner if you want to—you know your mother—there's plenty."

Dante was surprised by the invitation and still more taken aback by how pleasantly they were getting along. "You sure you want me to stay for dinner? I thought once you got Mr. Trunks back, you wouldn't be able to get me out of here fast enough."

"Like I told you, there's been enough tension between us, Dante. Too much. It's time to start putting that behind us. I don't want the negativity affecting our son. I finally see your point of view there. I want his memories to be of us getting along, not fighting every time we see each other. And if he can recall times when his parents sat down and shared a meal together in peace, I'd like for him to have those memories, too."

"So are you saying you've accepted the fact that Val and I are together? That you want peace between us despite that?"

"I realize you have your life, and I have mine," she answered, side-stepping a direct answer to his question.

"I'm glad we could get to this place for Rocco's sake, Lulu. Thanks. I know it wasn't easy-"

"I don't want to fight anymore, Dante, that's all. Maybe, eventually, we can even be friends again. Who knows?"

"I'd like that, if we could get there. And if you and my Ma honestly think you could live together and help each other out, I guess I should be supportive of that, too. Whatever works to get Damiano back home where he belongs. Speaking of which, let me see this Yankee heaven you've made." They walked from the living room to Rocco's bedroom. He took in the Yankee baseball border framing the room, the jerseys hanging on one wall and the huge red, white and blue Yankee emblem by itself on another one. There was also a painting of a baseball game in progress hanging on the wall over the crib. He let out a laugh when he saw the curtains and bed covers festooned with the Yankee logo and he remarked, "Ok, you might have gone A BIT overboard here! But I like it, and I think once he develops his own love for the Yanks, he'll be nuts about it, too."

"I told you I might have overdone it! But doesn't this room say, 'Hey, total guy zone, here!' That's what I wanted for him, and for Damiano, if he ends up living here."

"Well they can't help but become die-hard fans, growing up in a room like this! I think it's great, Lulu. And again, I appreciate what you're trying to do in giving him the best of the things we both love. We're in a good place right now. I know it wasn't easy, so you deserve credit for making the effort."

"I meant what I said, Dante. I want us to get along for our son's sake. Sometimes that might involve a lot of tongue biting!" They chuckled together before she went on, "If we both put in the work, though, Rocco will still have the childhood we always wanted him to have. Now, before I forget, he and Olivia should be here soon. I want to get cleaned up and set the table for dinner before they get here. That dinner offer stands, by the way."

"You know how much I love my Ma's lasagna! But no, I really ought to be getting home. Since Rocco's not here right now, I guess I'll have to catch up with him this weekend."

"'Ought to be getting home'? You're in so much of a hurry to go back to that empty loft that you can't stay and have dinner with us?"

Scratching his head, Dante paused before admitting, "Not exactly. I wasn't talking about the loft…"

"What did you mean, then?"

"I was talking about the penthouse. Val asked me to move in with her and I accepted the offer. Knowing her, she's already got dinner waiting for me. Maybe next time?"

Everything after "asked me to move in" went unheard by Lulu. Suddenly she was furious, outrageously so. That little slag, that stupid, interfering little tramp, she thought. She had just upped the stakes. Time to make her own move. Aloud she said, "Did she? And you accepted? I didn't think you would go for that, especially with Randy still in the picture…"

"Randy? Randy Hill? What's he got to do with anything?"

Lulu gazed at Dante in innocent confusion before saying, "I saw the two of them having lunch at Kelly's today. They seemed awfully affectionate, if the way they were sitting together and touching each other is any indication. She was brushing his hair out of his face when I saw them and he was touching her back when they left. I thought maybe their relationship was becoming more than friendship—at least, that's the way it looked to me…" There you go, Cousin. Talk your way around that, she thought with malicious satisfaction.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	38. Chapter 38

Ch. 38

There were no delightful scents or smells of dinner cooking to welcome Dante home when he entered the penthouse; in fact, he wondered if he was alone since he didn't see or hear Valerie nearby. He shrugged out of his jacket and was hanging it up in the living room closet as he called out, "Hey, anybody home? Val? Are you here?" Not receiving an answer, he walked into the kitchen. Sure enough, nothing was prepared or being prepared. Maybe she wasn't home after all, he thought again. Leaving the kitchen, he ventured back into the living room and saw Val descending the staircase, towel-drying her hair. "I thought I heard you calling out but I wasn't sure," she was saying, asking further, "When did you get home?"

"I just walked in a few minutes ago. I thought I was all alone at first…"

"I needed to wash my hair after my soak in the tub. I figured I'd get that out of the way before you got here."

"Oh, ok." He paused for a moment and then queried, "What's for dinner?" Thoughtfully, Val looked back at him as she answered, "Good question. I have no idea! I wasn't really hungry so I didn't even think about it. What were you planning on having?"

"I thought I was having whatever you were cooking."

"I don't remember saying I was cooking dinner tonight—did I tell you that or something and forget I'd said it? Ohh," she added as the light dawned, "you just assumed I'd have dinner ready when you got home? I guess if that's the sort of service you're expecting, I'll have to kick my domestic goddess skills into gear."

"Hang on a minute—I don't want you to misunderstand-" "Is that possible? You're just getting home, you're asking me what I had planned for dinner… Can you honestly tell me you weren't thinking I'd have dinner on the table when you got here?" "Ok, you caught me. In the back of my mind somewhere, I was thinking that. I didn't mean to be offensive or anything, though."

Slinging the dampened towel over her shoulder Val responded, "I'm not offended but that is a pretty old-fashioned outlook on things, isn't it? Very traditional. I told you before that I'm not really the type to be in the kitchen all the time preparing elaborate meals, so if that's what you want from me…"

"It's not. It's not. But I realize I've been spoiled and I need to come away from that kind of thinking. I guess I've just gotten so conditioned to being taken care of that I carried that expectation over here."

"Don't get me wrong, Dante, I don't mind taking care of you. I just want to make sure it's a mutual thing, ok? We should define what we want from each other while we're sharing this space. Maybe we should take the time to sit down and talk about that sometime soon. Now, should we order out, go out, or try to make something together out of whatever we've got in the 'fridge?"

"I like the idea of making something together." They walked into the kitchen and began looking into the cupboards and the freezer. After pulling out their ingredients, Dante got to work on an apple, celery and fennel slaw while Val set about preparing baked flounder. While they waited for the fish to bake, Dante asked her, "You want to eat here or in the dining room?" "I like here—it always seems more intimate and cozy at this little kitchen table. Why don't you choose a wine from the rack while we're waiting?" Dante left the room and moments later came back with a Sauvignon Blanc and two wine glasses. He poured their glasses and they sipped as they stood there. They both laughed when the timer sounded at last and they leapt forward to pull the fish from the oven. "Not that we're impatient or anything," remarked Dante as he watched Val plate up the flounder.

"Now this was a good idea," Dante was saying minutes later as they tasted their handiwork. "I told you, sometimes, simple pleasures are the best. So are simple meals. It turned out well, didn't it?" she responded with a smirk. "Yeah, it did—I made the right choice." "YOU did?" "Yeah, I did. I'm the one who said we should make something together, didn't I?"

"You are correct, sir, that was you. After I suggested it in the first place."

"Ok, ok, so we're both smart people! You don't give an inch, do you?"

"Depends on the stakes. Sometimes I can be very—submissive, depending on what I'm getting in return," Val added, giving him a sultry look. Dante had to shake his head to clear his mind of the image her words suddenly evoked—Val, naked on the bed, her wrists bound above her… "Whoa," he thought to himself. Laughing and giving him a sly look, Val demanded, "Tell me what you were thinking just now!" "No way!" "Uh huh. You say the word 'submissive' to a guy and his thoughts go all haywire!" "The thought of me at your mercy isn't a turn on for you, is that what you're trying to say?" he asked challengingly. "Not touching that!" she told him with a smile. "That's what I thought," he muttered. Taking another bite of his slaw, he said, "This really did turn out good. Speaking of good food, did you enjoy your lunch with Hill today?"

"How did you know… Lulu, of course. Yeah, I did. Randy is always good company and I'm glad we got a chance to clear the air between us after that little 'whatever it was' we had. What? Lulu couldn't wait to tell you she'd seen us at Kelly's or something?"

"Not just that she saw you but that you two were 'being intimate with each other'.

"'Being intimate with each other'? What the hell does that mean—banging one another on one of the tables or what? I'll bet she couldn't wait to twist what she saw all out of proportion!"

"What exactly did she see?"

"We were eating together. We got up to clear the table and because we leaned in at the the same time, our heads bumped. He got this colossal red mark on his forehead-" she paused.

"Ok, go on. Why'd you stop?"

"Because I don't want you to misinterpret anything."

"If there's nothing to misinterpret, I won't misinterpret anything."

"What did she tell you?"

"Why don't you tell me what you did instead?"

"I rubbed his forehead. It was an innocent gesture, Dante. I wasn't thinking, and I just reached out and did it because it looked like it hurt. It was a friendly, sympathetic gesture. That's how I meant it."

"And you think that's the way he took it? Especially since it looked like something else to anyone else who was watching?"

"Of course I do! Randy is a friend—he knows that's the way I think of him. And anyone else like who? Lulu? I'm surprised she didn't tell you we had our tongues down each other's throats! I wouldn't expect anything else from her."

"She didn't say anything like that but she did mention you two looked intimate and were touching all over each other." Val gave Dante a steady stare before asking, "You really think I was groping Randy publically? You think I would do that in public or in private?"

"I'm just telling you what she said-"

"I don't care what she said; I'm asking you what you think. Do you think that's something I would do to any one of us—to you, to Randy, or even to myself?"

"He wants you." "What? No, he doesn't. He has his eye on someone else—he told me so." "I don't care what he told you. What he told me is that he's just waiting for you to realize I'm no good and go running to him instead. Whatever he told you, Val, that's what he told me, ok? I don't think he's stopped wanting you since that night you two went dancing at Jake's and anything you do, any move you make toward him, however innocent, he's taking as a sign to keep you in his sights. I'm warning you to be careful. Don't put your head in the sand about this thing."

Looking down at her now empty plate, Val said slowly, "This is messed up. Randy is my friend. I don't want to have to look at him with suspicion and second guess everything he does. He told me he wanted to be my friend—he knows that's the way I see him. He's one of the few friends I have here…" She sighed and shook her head.

"Listen, I'm not trying to mess with your friendship, Val. Believe me, I'm not. If I had my way and knew you would do what I told you to, I'd order you to stay away from him. I know that wouldn't work, and I'm not even gonna try. I'm only saying that what he's telling you he wants and what he's telling me he wants aren't matching up. And if he's touching you where people can see and get the wrong idea, I'm not down for that. You might think it's innocent, but I know it's not. Tell him to keep his hands to himself."

"In this instance, it was innocent, though, Dante. You believe that, right? Despite how Lulu made it sound?"

"Yeah, I know that. It's not you I'm doubting in this thing at all, it's him. And if he keeps it up-"

"If he keeps it up, nothing, ok? Don't go all Neanderthal on me! I'll handle Randy and you can handle Ms. Mouth. What'd she do, hit you with this the minute you got in the door?"

"Actually, she didn't mention it until I told her I'd moved in here with you. She was being pleasant until that point—even invited me to stay for dinner. She said she's accepting that you and I are together but she thought I might be rushing things moving in because of your supposed budding relationship with Hill."

"You seriously think she's gonna accept that you and I are together? In what universe? She didn't have to tell you about Randy and me at Kelly's, especially since there was nothing wrong with what we were doing. Randy even made a point of telling her we were just friends. But she couldn't wait to tell you we were all touchy-feely with each other. She's too transparent."

"I'm not sure about that, Val. She gave me the impression that she's ready to move on. She wants us all to get along for Rocco's sake. She said she thought about it, and she decided it was time to put the anger behind us."

"So she told you she's ok with us being together?"

"Well, yeah." He thought about it for a minute and then added, "Well, she said she realized I had my life and she had hers. It amounts to the same thing, I guess."

"Really. You went over to her new place, gave her Rocco's elephant, and she said, 'Let's be friends,' and then you left and came home, huh? Then why were you gone so long?"

"It didn't happen quite like that. She got a new place so of course she wanted to show me around, to see Rocco's room and stuff like that. I don't know. I want to believe she wants to end the hostilities but it was weird, I'll admit, to see her like that after all this time-"

"Like what?"

"Nice. Agreeable. She was actually playing my favorite opera when I got there. She told me she wants to give Rocco all the things we'd planned to give him when we were a family. Opera, the love of the Yankees, Italian food. You should see his bedroom! It's all Yankees stuff, everywhere you look. She kind of impressed me with what she was saying and how she was acting. I think she's really turned a corner."

"So SHE'S gonna give him all the things YOU love, huh?"

"And some of the Spencer traits, too, like loving adventure and being able to take care of himself."

"You don't see anything weird about that?"

"Weird?"

"Yeah, like why should she have to give him the things you love? Can't you do that, since you're still here and in his life? Wouldn't it make more sense for her to focus on making sure he has the things she loves and wants to pass on to him from her point of view while allowing you to do the same?"

"I suppose so, but since she has him so much of the time, I guess she just wanted to include me, make sure he gets the best of both of us, she said."

"Now who's being gullible?" "Excuse me?" "You don't see it? Think about it. Opera as soon as you get to the apartment. Yankee stuff all over Rocco's bedroom when he doesn't know the Yankees from the Red Sox-"

"Hey, watch it!"

"I'm just saying. And she invites you to stay for dinner on top of all that. All out of the goodness of her heart, huh? I think you're the one being naïve here, Dante. She doesn't have to embrace the things you love to stop showing anger toward you and she sure doesn't have to share them with your son. She's doing it for a purpose. She tells you she wants the hostilities to end between you but she's accusing me of running two men at the same time. So she wants to be friendly with you while still being hostile with me. How does that work if you and I are together? I'll tell you how—it doesn't. Seems to me like she's paving the way for a comeback into your life, which is her right. Just don't you stick YOUR head in the sand about what she's doing, and why."

They regarded one another silently over the kitchen table before Dante finally said, "Ok, it's a deal. Now honestly, I'm sick of Hill and Lulu being at the table with us. Enough about them. I just want to spend the rest of the night with you. Can we do that?"

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Let's do this. Clean up in here real quick. Pop some popcorn, take what's left of this wine to the living room and watch some movie neither of us cares about while snuggling together on the couch, which will hopefully lead to something else. Is that doable?"

"It is, but I'll go you one better."

"Better than that? How?"

"Let's do all that in the bedroom instead."

"That works, too, but why?"

"I'm recalling something you said earlier—something about having you at my mercy. I'm getting all these strange visions of you writhing around on soft cotton sheets while being unable to keep me from doing whatever I want to do to you. Somehow, that fantasy seems to be more feasible on a bed, don't you think?"

"You don't have to convince me. Let's do it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saturday morning's air was cold and crisp when Dante and Val awoke to greet the day. Reaching over and smoothing his hair out of his face, she whispered, "Hey there, Sexy. You plan to sleep the day away?" He pulled her toward him, hugging her tightly and tangling his fingers in her unruly mane, murmuring, "Good morning yourself. Something tells me it's kind of cold outside. You should stay here and warm me up." "I can do that. What's the time table for the big event today?" "I think we're leaving Port Charles around two or three o'clock. I know Sonny wanted to get to Rochester in enough time for us all to check in, go eat at the steakhouse, and then go see some play or something that Josslyn wanted to see. I'll double check with him a bit later, although I should have an invitation somewhere…" "Sounds good. I'm gonna take a shower while you search for that invitation."

Smiling at her mischievously, he noticed, "You know, we do have some time so it's not necessary that I find that invite right now. If you don't mind some company, we could share a shower head or something…" "All you want to share with me is a shower head?" "No, I just said that to get you to agree. Once I got you in there all soaped up, something else altogether was gonna happen." "That sounds more like it. C'mon, JM. Show me how creative you can be with bubbles."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was quite a convoy that traveled up to Rochester later that afternoon. Sonny and Carly rode in their limousine with Bobbie, Mike, Lucas and Josslyn; Mercedes, Rocco, Avery and Petra, a part-time nanny who would help Mercedes with the babies, were with them. Dante and Val were riding in the front of his car, with Morgan, Michael and Sabrina riding in the back seat. Bringing up the rear were Lulu and Maxie.

A little over an hour later, the group was checking into the Inn on Broadway, marveling at the sumptuous splendor and beauty of the hotel. There were four luxury rooms, which had been reserved for Sonny and Carly, Mike and Bobbie, who decided to have Joss stay with her. Sonny had planned ahead of time to put Dante and Val in the fourth room. The two double suites were occupied by Lulu, Maxie, Mercedes and Petra, who would have Rocco and Avery in with them. Three of the other nineteen rooms were parceled out amongst remaining singles, Michael and Sabrina opting to stay together. Once everyone had settled in, they all made their way down to the Tournedos Steakhouse, which was actually located on the first floor of the hotel. As what usually happens when a large group of people who enjoy one another's company get together, they were loud and boisterous, filling the air of the restaurant with their laughter and merriment. The menu, which included items like Lemon-Herb Roasted Half Free Range Chicken, Wild Raised Tasmanian Salmon and Beef Tenderloin Filet, turned out to be a gastronomic delight for the wedding party. They ate and drank well as they appreciated the food and the companionship.

After the early dinner, everyone except the babies and their minders piled back into their cars for the short ride to the Geva Theatre Center for the Halloweenprov show. Unfortunately, Sonny had miscalculated and neglected to line up the dates for Josslyn's Potted Potter show, an oversight she tried hard not to hold against him. They all laughed their way through the show as they acted and reacted to the improv actors. Finally, the night's festivities ended, and the tiring celebrants made their way back to the hotel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val wanted to have a nightcap before she and Dante retired for the evening, a request he agreed to once he had checked on Rocco. She waited for him in the lounge of the hotel's restaurant as she sipped on a drink called "Destination Unknown". She heard footsteps behind her and turned with a welcoming smile, a smile that fell only slightly when she saw it wasn't Dante approaching her, but Lulu. "I don't know why I didn't think you'd be coming along on this trip, Cousin," Lulu told her, adding, "Though the way you seem to be permanently attached to Dante's hip these days, I should have figured you'd find a way to tag along." "I don't know what you were thinking, either, since I'm just as much Carly's family as you are. And Dante and I are a couple—a fact you gave him the impression you were accepting. Of course I know it was just smoke blowing, but he honestly thought you were being sincere."

"A couple for how much longer, though? That's the question. Looking at Sonny and Carly, I realized something. A broken bond for now doesn't necessarily mean broken forever. Dante and I have a lot of history, history I intend to capitalize on."

"Finally, the declaration of intent! I knew I wasn't wrong about your reasons for telling Dante that Randy Hill and I were groping each other in Kelly's. Nice move, Cousin."

"Oh, did he mention that I told him about that?"

"Yeah, right before he changed his mind and moved back into the loft, saying maybe we needed a rethink on the living together angle." A huge grin broke out on Lulu's face before she could quash it as she asked, "Wow, is that what happened? Sorry, Cousin, that must have really stung. But at least for now, you're still on his arm-"

Laughing aloud, Val interrupted her with, "Of course that's not what happened, Lulu! I thought you were Luke Spencer's child? He didn't teach you 'poker face' at all, did he? The idea is, even if that's what you expected or wanted to happen, you shouldn't be so obvious about it. Dante and I still as solid as ever. Nice try, though. I'm thinking eventually you'll get tired and revert to your real self when all your 'sweetness' and using Rocco's childhood as a tool doesn't net you the results you want. Oops, here Dante finally is. I'm sure you want to go up and say your own 'good night' to Rocco, so you're totally excused." Walking away from her cousin, she shook her nearly empty glass at Dante, telling him, "You'd better hurry and catch up. I'm already one up on you."

"I guess I'd better." Since Lulu was on the other side of the bar, he raised his voice slightly as he said, "If you're going up to check on Rocco, he's already asleep. We'll see you later, ok? Have a good night." Leaving Lulu staring after them with narrowed eyes, Dante ordered a drink and then they went to sit by the fireplace in the lounge, snuggling cozily on one of the couches as they sipped and watched the dancing flames.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	39. Chapter 39

Ch. 39

Dante was awakened by the sounds of snaps and zips and frowning, he began looking around the room to find the source of the noises. Hazily he could just make out Val's form through the fireplace light. Somewhat groggily, he came up onto his elbows in the bed as he asked her, "Angel—hey, what are you doing?" Jumping with a little start, Val hadn't realized her morning preparations had disturbed him. "Good morning, Just Mine. Did I wake you up? I'm sorry. I was just getting dressed." "I heard something strange and it woke me—what are you doing?" he asked again.

"I wanted to see the sunrise this morning. That's why I'm up so early." Glancing at his phone, Dante saw that it wasn't quite six-thirty in the morning. He reached out and turned on the bedside lamp. "Val," he reminded her, still slightly frowning, "it's cold outside. It's still dark. The sunrise? What do you need to see the sunrise for? Come back to bed." "I woke up early on purpose, Dante, so I could see the sun come up." Sitting up in the bed he tried again to reason with her by saying, "Ok, listen. It's dark outside. We don't know this area of Rochester at all. It seems safe enough but I don't want you out there alone in the dark in an unfamiliar area."

"I'll be fine."

Sighing, he threw back the bed covers and was swinging his legs over the side of the bed when Val rushed to his side and halted him with, "Hey! What are you doing? You don't have to get up. Enjoy the warm bed. I'll be back in a while." Holding her gaze with his he told her, "You're not going alone, Valerie."

"I'll be fine, Dante," she repeated, adding, "I've got my phone, you've got yours. Keep it close by. I don't plan to go far from the hotel but if I get into trouble, I'll send up a 'flare'." She walked back to the room's bureau and chose a tan cashmere scarf from one of the drawers, which she wrapped around her neck. Returning to his side, she placed her hand in the middle of his chest and gently pushed him back down. He swung his legs back into the bed and she covered him again with the blankets. She then leaned over him and kissed his forehead. "Go back to sleep," she told him. "Yeah, like that's gonna happen when I know you're wandering around out there in the dark. Just hurry back, ok?"

"I will."

Leaving their room Val made her way to the hotel lobby. She stopped short when she saw the back of a tall blonde she thought she recognized standing by the concierge desk. "Carly?" she asked, approaching her cousin, further saying, "I thought that was you. What are you doing up this early?"

"Anxious energy, I think. I was lying there unable to sleep so I thought I'd sneak out and take a short walk."

"Looks like we had similar thoughts, although for different reasons. I wanted to see the sunrise this morning." "Let's go, then," Carly replied. After they had left the hotel, Val told her, "Hang on a second." She called Dante on his phone and smiled when he answered before the phone could ring twice. In an agitated tone he said, "Val? What's wrong? Where are you? Give me a minute-" "Dante! Whatever you're doing, stop! I just called to let you know that I'm not alone now; Carly is with me, ok? Say 'Good morning' to Dante, Carly," she encouraged her cousin who responded with, "Good morning, Dante" into Val's phone. Continuing on she said, "We're gonna take a short walk around the hotel. I wanted to put your mind at ease and let you know we're together."

"Thanks for callin' me. I do feel a little bit better now. Enjoy your walk but still, hurry back."

"We will. Oh, and Dante?"

"Yes, Angel?"

"I love you." There was a momentary silence before she queried, "Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearin' you say it. I was hearin' it over and over in my head; that's why I didn't respond right away." Huffing out a short laugh he added, "I love you too, Angel." Smiling, Val ended the call, catching Carly's eye as she did so. "Well, you've already gotten to the 'I love you' stage, huh? When did that happen?" They set off walking down the street away from the hotel.

"I'll tell you but first you tell me why you're anxious. You can't be nervous, can you? I figured after the fourth time…" her voice trailed off. "I'm not nervous about marrying Sonny. I think I'm just anxious to get on with this part of our lives. Anxious to get started with this phase and to finally make it real. Do you know what I mean?"

"I think so. Like the marriage makes your new life official."

"Exactly. Sonny and I—we've gone through a lot to get here. We've been in this place so many times and yet this time actually feels different. I think we're both finally ready, finally mature enough to make it work this time. We've never had a problem being in love or loving each other. We could never successfully get past the rough spots, though, when they came up. We both gave in too easily because that was easier than hanging on and doing the hard work. We can both be selfish people, Val, and selfish people have a hard time being in relationships sometimes. I think we've finally learned that it's ok to keep holding on and go through the drama until it gets good again. It's ok to forgive and move on and stay through the hurt. We're better people this time around so I feel more optimistic this time. It feels like we're really going to be able to make our marriage work."

"You might think you're selfish but you've come through for me more than once."

"That's because it didn't cost me anything to be there for you. The real test will come when it costs me to reach out and I reach anyway. That'll be my true test with Sonny, too. Now, back to you and this 'I love you' stuff. Spill."

Val looked up into the sky where the sun was barely making an appearance. "Check out that sky," she told Carly, further saying, "I love it when it's like this. There comes a moment in the sky when the moon has to surrender to the sun. When it's still dark but you can see the sun coming. For that brief moment, light and dark are side by side, sharing the sky but eventually, the sun's brightness overtakes and overshadows the moon. That moment, for me, is golden. It feels like-" Val paused as she groped for the right word. "Hope, maybe?" "More like 'potential'. It's just a feeling that the day is brand new and everything is possible in that one moment. When the day is totally perfect and untarnished. Did you see that eclipse a few weeks back?"

"Yeah. Sonny and I went out into the garden and watched it for a while." "I pay more attention to the sky since that night. I didn't remember there was going to be an eclipse until Dante reminded me. We went out onto the terrace together and watched it. He said he and I were like that blood red moon—a rare combination of circumstances that came together to make us possible. That we were unique like the moon. People all over the world, wherever it could be seen were looking into the sky at the moon that night but it felt like it was just for us—for him and me. He told me he loved me that night and I was finally able to tell him I loved him, too. He said I should think of that moon to remind me of how special our love is. Ever since that night, I look at the sky differently. I wanted to remember the sunrise on your special day. The day that I watched my cousin, a member of a family I didn't even know I had, marry the love of her life." Linking their arms together, Carly teased, "Aww, somebody's a sentimentalist."

"I know, right? But I don't think I was one before I found my family, or my family found me. Obviously, I've never been a part of a family wedding before. I'm really looking forward to it." "You know what I'm really looking forward to?" Carly asked suddenly, glancing at the sky now that the sun had fully risen.

"What?" Val replied, realizing that they had walked in a circle and were back in front of the hotel.

"Getting back inside! We must be nuts; it's freaking cold out here! Let's find the nearest fireplace and stand on top of it!" Laughing, they linked their arms tighter and hurriedly made their way into the front lobby.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val and Dante were relaxing in their suite after having eaten brunch a couple of hours before. There was a knock on the door and when Dante rose to answer, Josslyn handed him two silver envelopes with these instructions, "Mom said you've got fifteen minutes to fill these out and come downstairs with them. You were the last on my list—I've gotta go write my own!" She dashed away and after Dante watched her get to her room safely, he closed the door. He then gave Val one of the envelopes. When she opened it and read what was written there, she laughed delightedly and remarked, "What a cool idea!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ballroom in the inn was beautifully decorated. The silver tablecloths on each table made a gorgeous contrast to the white and gold draped chairs. White tapered candles were lit all over the room which, aided by the firelight in the fireplace at the front of the ballroom, lent the room an air of intimacy. In the center of each table were white rose centerpieces, giving the atmosphere a sense of romantic elegance. On the left side of the room a string quintet was skillfully playing music by Luigi Boccherini that Sonny and Carly had especially chosen for the occasion. On the right side of the room, the tables had been pushed out of the way and chairs had been set up for the wedding guests, who were filing into the room to the sound of Boccherini's Opus eleven, number five, one of his most famous compositions. Pausing to have their pictures taken by photographers specifically hired for the occasion, the guests, after placing their silver envelopes into a crystal bowl, took their seats and waited for the bride and groom to appear. Making their grand entrance to the strains of Boccherini's Opus forty-five, number one, Sonny and Carly, arm in arm with matching smiles, slowly advanced to the front of the room by the fireplace where the judge who had flown in at Sonny's request was waiting to marry them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We are all gathered here today to witness the joining in marriage of Michael Corinthos Jr. and Caroline Leigh-"

"Jacks. It's ok if you use 'Jacks'."

"Caroline Leigh Jacks. If anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." Sonny and Carly both tensed up as they looked behind them, relaxing when they only saw smiling and approving faces gazing back at them. When no one spoke, the judge went on, "Before we get to the official vows, Michael and Caroline have their own vows that they wish to share with one another. Michael, why don't you begin?"

Clearing his throat nervously, Sonny eventually said, "You know, we've put each other through a lot, right? And we've loved each other through a lot. We let things that didn't matter come between us and make us quit on each other. I don't wanna do that anymore, Carly. I think we know enough now to not let that happen again, ok? I love you. Through all the startin' and stoppin', all the marriages and divorces, my heart never totally let you go. I'm not runnin' from that truth anymore. That's why I can stand here today in front of our friends and family and tell you that this is it and you're it. You're the woman I want, for the rest of my life. This time, I wanna get it right. I wanna make you the happiest you've ever been, for the rest of your life."

After the judge gave Carly a nod, she responded, "It's taken a lot for us to get here, Sonny. You're right—we've seen the best and the worst of each other. We've put each other through a lot but we've also been there for each other in a way no one else has ever been for us. You have been my constant, and no matter where I go, I'm always drawn back to you. I knew from the moment I met you that you were going to alter the course of my life and you did. I love you, Sonny. That's really all that matters, when you think about it. When you look at me with that look and hit me with those dimples, everything else melts away. I want what we have right now for the rest of my life and I want to surround you with love, every day, for the rest of your life. I want us to get it right this time, too."

"Michael, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward? In sickness and in health, forsaking all others, cleaving only to her until death parts you? If you so signify, do so by placing a ring on her finger."

"I do." Beaming in happiness, Sonny slid his ring on Carly's finger while they both fought back tears.

"Caroline, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward? In sickness and in health, forsaking all others, cleaving only to him until you are parted by death? If you so signify, do so by placing a ring on his finger."

"I do." Exhaling softly, Carly held Sonny's finger tightly as she slid her ring on his finger. They smiled down at their hands and then looked back at the judge.

"Forasmuch as Michael and Carly have consented to the marriage bond by the exchanging of vows and the giving and accepting of rings, I do declare that they are husband and wife. You may-" Without waiting for further instructions, Sonny pulled Carly into his arms and kissed her deeply. "Well," the judge remarked, "I guess you didn't need to be told what to do!" Finally releasing her amid claps and wolf whistles from the witnesses, Sonny said, "No, Judge, this is one thing I got down pat!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Toward the end of the reception, Mike stood up and cleared his throat and then said loudly to get everyone's attention, "The bride and groom have something they want to say, so listen up!" Shaking his head while laughing at his father, Sonny addressed the crowd. "We wanna thank you guys for, you know, sharin' this day with us, right? Havin' you all here, being surrounded by family just made the day that much better. We've got you kids, the grandkid, my dad, and good friends here helpin' us celebrate. It's been a perfect day." Nodding in agreement, Carly added, "We asked you all to write your wishes for us on a piece of paper. Since we didn't have a best man or maid or matron of honor, we're gonna read your toasts to us aloud and then put them in our wedding book to always remember as keepsakes. Choosing from the bowl, we'll read them in no particular order…" Sonny reached into the bowl and pulled out the first envelope. Taking out the scrap of paper he said, "This one's from Lulu. It says, 'Fifth time's the charm! Always be happy, you two.' Thanks, Lulu. We plan to be." Carly removed the next one. "From Lucas. 'Writing this without seeing you, I know you'll look beautiful, big sis. I hope this is just the beginning of many beautiful days for you both.' Oh, Lucas, thank you! I love this!"

Sonny pulled out the next envelope and opening it, said, "This one's from Dante. 'Representin' all of your kids, I'm sayin' that we just want you guys to be happy and in love for a very long time.'" Sonny nodded at Dante as Dante threw his father a "thumbs up".

Sonny and Carly continued taking turns reaching into the bowl and reading out the toasts:

From Michael: "I've had a front row seat for most of it all, the ups and the downs. Make each other happy, and if you can't, fake it 'til you make it. Don't give up this time."

From Mike: "I know you two have what it takes to make your marriage work. Believe in what you're building together, cherish it, and it'll last forever. I love you both very much."

From Val: "Live long, love longer. All my best wishes for you both to have a wonderful life together."

From Bobbie: "To my beautiful daughter and the undisputed love of her life—just be happy! And Sonny, if you hurt my little girl, I know where you live!" Everyone laughed at the implied threat, though Sonny and Carly knew she was deadly serious.

From Morgan: "I'm so happy that you found your way back to each other! I've wanted this day for a long time! I love you guys!"

From Sabrina: "Always remember this day and why you got married. If you never forget the reasons why, your marriage will last forever."

From Maxie: "This had better be the last time! But seriously, be happy!"

From Josslyn: "You guys should love each other for a long, long time!" Carly ended by saying, "These really mean a lot to us! I can't wait to look at them again years from now and remember this moment." "And now it's off to the honeymoon," Sonny announced, his dimples flashing. "Where are you two headed?" Dante asked.

"Fiji. We wanted our honeymoon, like our weddin', to be somethin' we hadn't done before, somewhere we hadn't been together. My friend Señor Escobar has a villa there with a private beach, so…"

Josslyn lamented sulkily, "I still think you should be taking me with you. Fiji's only five hours away from Australia by plane!" Carly turned to her daughter and with her hands on her hips demanded, "Did you really think we were gonna take you on our honeymoon, Joss? You're staying with Grandma Bobbie while we're gone. And anyway, you just saw your father earlier this year. You might as well stop pouting; you're not coming with us!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After bundling themselves up in coats and jackets, everyone walked Sonny and Carly to their limo, which was waiting to take them to the airport. Because of the wind, the soap bubbles the wedding guests blew at them were promptly carried aloft, causing everyone to laugh at the pointlessness of their efforts. As the limousine finally pulled away, the newlyweds' friends and family waved and hooted their congratulations and best wishes to send them on their journey, then promptly rushed back into the warmth of the hotel where they continued to party into the early evening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the ride home once the celebrations had ended, the car's occupants were discussing the day's activities. Sabrina noticed thoughtfully, "I don't know when I've ever seen your mom look more radiant, or Sonny look more handsome, for that matter." "They were happy, weren't they?" Morgan asked with a contented grin. "Yeah, I think they were. I think this time, they're actually gonna get it right," Michael said. "Let's hope so," Dante told them, adding, "I don't think they've got a sixth one in them!" They rode for a short while in silence and then Val quietly opined, "I think they're pretty brave."

"Brave? Why?" wondered Dante, casting a quick glance in her direction.

"It's such a gamble, isn't it? You go into a marriage hoping for the very best and putting your heart on the line—sometimes, it still isn't enough, though. I don't know. I just think it's a brave thing to do."

Morgan queried, "Don't you wanna get married someday, Val?"

"I don't know, Morgan," she answered, turning in her seat to look at him. She went on, "I think I'd have to know him so well, almost better than I know myself before I took that chance. Can you really know anybody that well? Difficult to say. I'd have to think long and hard and I'd probably second guess myself a million times before I took the plunge. That's not to say I definitely don't want to someday. After a long engagement. A verrrry looooong engagement." While everyone else laughed at her over exaggerated words, Dante secretly stored what she was saying in his heart and mind. No one knew better than he how much courage it took to take such a huge step and how devastating it was when it didn't work out. Inadvertently, Val was telling him that she was in no hurry to marry anyone, including him. Which was a good thing, he thought. Wasn't it?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	40. Chapter 40

Ch. 40

After the festive nature of the weekend's activities, Dante and Valerie were both finding returning to the Monday morning grind a bit of a drag. For Dante's part, he was starting his day by having an impromptu meeting with Jordan, Randy and Nathan about the Joey Robbs case. "I just can't believe," Jordan was saying, "that we can't seem to get a bead on this guy. No one is this good or careful." "Oh, guys this good exist, all right," Dante reminded her, adding, "One of them is in my gene pool so I should know." Everyone at the desk nodded at the accuracy and truth of his statement. "What we know so far," continued Nathan, "is that allegedly Joey Robbs hired this Carmine Garafalo out of North Jersey to come all the way here to kill me. We only have Scribbs' word for that, right? If that's true, what's in it for this guy?"

"Money, plain and simple," answered Dante, further stating, "As far as I can tell from what the Jersey cops said, this Garafalo hires out—freelances. If you've got the money, he's got the time and inclination. And he gets it done usually; otherwise, they'd have had him in custody already." Shuffling through the file of the case, Dante pulled out the most recent picture of Garafalo and showed it to Nathan. "I know you weren't in the best situation to make an ID but does he look familiar at all?" Nathan briefly studied the picture before handing it back to Dante. "I don't think so, man. I thought the guy I saw was tall with a slender build. I could be off and it's not like people can't lose weight, but this doesn't feel like the guy."

"Well I'll tell you this much," Randy said with conviction, "Scribbs wasn't lying about his ID of this Garafalo as the perp. He was scared to death to tell us that much and from what the Jersey cops were saying, he was right to be frightened. He wouldn't throw this guy under the bus for nothing, not unless he wanted to guarantee his death."

"So there's no real way to tie Robbs to all this?" Jordan wondered in frustration.

"There seems to be no real way to tie him to anything, unless we catch him in the act of another burglary. Even if we were able to, though, he'd be a fool to cop to the higher charge of attempted murder just to get out of being popped for burglary or larceny. I'm not giving up, though—if we keep plugging away at it, eventually we'll find a way to bring him down."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sitting quietly at her desk in the squad room, Val listened to the meeting going on at the next desk, although she pretended otherwise. An idea began forming in her head as she brought up the lists of stolen items from the robberies Joey Robbs was supposed to have committed. Scanning the different lists, a couple of items in particular caught her eye. "Hmm," she thought as the idea she was having was turning into a plan, "I could either mention this to the guys and see if they think it's a worthwhile idea, or I can see what I could accomplish on my own." She thought back to her conversation with Anna Devane about what it was like to go deep cover and she sighed. If she did what she was thinking about doing on her own and failed, the flack she would get would be immense. But if she succeeded…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Approaching Jordan, Val began wincing noticeably. In Jordan's ear she whispered, "Boss, I'm feeling kind of weird all of a sudden. Do you think I could get the rest of the day off to sort it out?" With concern, Jordan pulled her away from everyone to a corner of the room. "You're not pregnant are you?" "No! Trust me, nothing like that is going on. I don't know what it is—maybe I ate the wrong thing or something for breakfast. Is it ok if I take off?"

"Yeah, go ahead, get it sorted. Feel better."

"Thanks." She was gathering her purse and jacket when Dante walked over and stopped her, asking, "Are you ok? What's going on?"

"I'm ok. I have something I need to take care of so I asked Jordan if I could duck out early to take care of it. Don't worry. I'll see you at home later, ok?"

"If you're sure…"

"Positive."

"All right, then." Leaning forward, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "I'll see you tonight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Alex's Auto Body and Repair. Can I help you?"

"Wow, that voice sounds familiar! Could I possibly be talking to the beautiful, smart, talented and bestest friend ever Pippa Arondale?"

"No way. You could be, but only if I'M talking to the equally beautiful, smart, talented, bestest friend ever who just fell off the side of the planet Valerie Spencer."

"Now that we know who we're talking to…" They both dissolved into a fit of giggles and for a moment, were transported back to their high school days. Val went on, "How've you been, Pips?"

"Hangin' in, girl, hangin' in. How've YOU been? You took off for New York ages ago. I didn't expect you to be gone so long."

"Well, things got a bit complicated after I got here…"

"Yeah, grapevine still works, even over here. I heard about your mother. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Pips. That was part of the complication but the rest is too long a story to explain right now."

"Gotcha. Then let's get to it because I know, as much as you love me, that you didn't call for idle chat. What do you need?"

"I swear that's one of the things I love about you, Pips! You know how to cut right to the chase. Tell me; are you on the shop phone?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Can you call me back on another phone? You know what I mean?"

"Okaaay. Give me a minute." They hung up and Val waited anxiously for almost five minutes before Pippa called her back. "Girl, you act like I've just got burner phones lying around here or something!" "And yet you were able to call me right back!" They laughed again and then Pippa asked her, "Ok, seriously. What's up?" "Is Alex still in touch with Nicky Finn?" There was silence for a moment and then Pippa said slowly, "He can be. Why? What could you possibly need from Nicky Finn?" "Um. Is he still in the 'document' business?" "He is. I'm asking, why?" "I need something made, I need it quick and I need it sent to me." Again there was silence through the phone. "Valerie. What's going on? Tell me what you're into." "Come on, Pips, I'm not 'into anything'. But I'm thinking about doing something and I need some fakes to help me make it happen. What would be the damage on something like that?" "Something like?" "Driver's license, maybe passport-" "Passport!" "CARD, Pips, passport card, and I don't need it to leave the country, just as an ID." "This conversation's over right now unless you tell me exactly why you need this stuff."

Val had forgotten how tough her friend could be when something didn't feel right to her. Sighing, she explained, "Ok. First of all, don't freak out on me here. I'm working at the Port Charles Police Department as an aide."

"Ok, cool. You're getting to use your degree. So far, not hearing the need for paper."

"There's a case that involves one of my friends, an officer, who was stabbed and left for dead. He didn't die, but that's not the point. The guy I'm interested in meant for him to die."

"Getting warmer. Go on."

"Ok. This guy is an alleged robber but no one's been able to pin him down on anything. My friend was getting too close in this guy's opinion to his operation, so he tried to have him shut down." "Still not seeing the need for your involvement, or for fake IDs, Val. Cut to it. What do you want this stuff for?"

"I was looking on the lists of stolen items from the different robberies the cops think this guy might have done. There are a couple of things on that list I want to see if I can get from him. If I put out the word on the quiet that I'm interested in purchasing these things, maybe I can lure him into a trap of my own making."

"No."

"Just hear me out-"

"I don't want to hear you out. This is stupid, Valerie. Do you hear me? You don't have the training or the experience for something like this! What's got into you? Why does this matter so much? You dating this guy who got hurt?"

"Not him…" "Not him, but?" "His partner." "And THERE it is. Ok, listen to me. They're both cops, right? Let them handle this, then. This is such a bad idea, girl." "I need to prove something to myself." "You sure you don't need to prove something to HIM—this guy you're dating?" "Ok, maybe to both of us. There's this woman I know—I won't tell you her name because it probably wouldn't mean anything to you—but she's lived more than half her life as a spy. Listening to her made me wonder, 'Could I pull off anything like that?' You know after I got my degree I thought about maybe becoming a cop-" "And then your mom got sicker and you needed a steadier job with better hours, I know. So what, you're thinking now is the time to pursue this 'dream'?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to see if I could pull it off. Whether I can or not, this would definitely tell me if being an undercover cop is a life I want for myself." "And if you end up dead? You said this guy you're after tried to kill your friend, who just happens to be a cop. If he didn't hesitate to go after a cop, what makes you so sure you'll be safe?" "Because I'm not a threat to him, not one he'll recognize, anyway. I'm just a girl looking for something he might be able to get for me. If he can get them, fine. If not, no harm, no foul."

"What kind of thing are you trying to get?" "Pips-" "Tell me." "On the list of stolen items, there were a pair of Sig Sauers-" "No! Absolutely not! I mean it, Valerie Spencer! You are killing me right now—my soul is literally being eaten away piece by piece right now!" "Well, not LITERALLY, Pips-" "This isn't funny, Val. It's dangerous as all hell." "It could be. I know that. I just want to see if I can pull it off. Which is where Alex comes into it…" "You're not trying to bring heat to my doorstep, are you?" "OF COURSE NOT! All I need from your brother is confirmation, in case someone calls. He's going to be the reason I want the guns in the first place. All he has to do, if he's asked, is say in an annoyed voice, 'Yeah, she's my girl—so what?' or something like that, and describe me, again, only if he's asked to. Make sure to tell him that I have brown eyes and shoulder-length hair." "You don't have brown eyes or shoulder-length hair, last I saw." "I will." "Do you have anybody besides me who knows what you're planning to do? Anyone closer to you than I am here in Philly?"

"There is someone I plan to mention it to. Look, I could be anybody looking for a gun that I don't have to buy through normal channels, ok? If I play it right, there's no reason for him to get suspicious." "When do you need the paper by?" "ASAP. FedEx it to me when he's done." "Probably gonna cost you three and a half." "Three hundred fifty—seriously? Kind of steep isn't it?" "You're a friend—that's the cut rate. Nicky doesn't make cheap, and he doesn't work cheap. I'm talking quality. Quality costs." "I'll wire you the money. I'm not gonna use my credit card." "First smart thing you've said since you started telling me about this scheme. Are you one hundred percent sure I can't talk you out of this?" "I feel like I have to try, Pips. I don't even know why, except I'll never know for sure if it's something I could have done with my life if I don't. I don't want to regret not going for it." "I don't want you to regret going for it, either. Keep me in the loop, ok?"

"Will do. Now let's talk about something else. How're Big Paulie and Little Paulie? Still double-teaming you and driving you crazy?"

"Always. But I wouldn't trade either of 'em…" Having successfully diverted her friend's attention, Val breathed an inward sigh of relief and settled in to a nice conversation about the latest happenings in the old neighborhood.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Going to the local Savers Thrift Store, Val bought a couple of pairs of faded jeans, some 'gently used' combat boots, a couple of sweatshirts, and two hoodies. She then went to Walmart and bought some brown plano contacts to disguise her unforgettable eyes. Between her purchases and the money sent for the fake IDs, she was putting out more money than she'd intended. But if her plan worked, it would be money well spent. If it didn't, well, the experience alone might make it worth the expenditures. She hoped.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	41. Chapter 41

Ch. 41

"Hello, this is Anna Devane." "Anna? This is Valerie Spencer. Thanks for taking my call. I hope you don't mind but I got your number from Jordan." "I don't mind at all; I'm flattered that you went through the trouble. What can I do for you?" "If you had some time to spare, I'd like to meet with you. There's something I'd like to get your advice about." "Sure, I can do that. Where do you want to meet? "I was thinking about the park, in about a half hour. Does that work for you?" "It does. I'll meet you there."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val watched Anna as she approached the park bench with a confident stride, her coat flapping in the slight breeze. "She even walks like a boss," thought Val. Smiling a slightly puzzled smile, Anna greeted Val with, "Valerie, hello again. It's good to see you. I have to admit I'm rather curious as to what you could possibly want to speak to me about. How can I help you?"

Now that Val was actually face to face with Anna, she was feeling hesitant about disclosing the reason she had asked for the meeting. Anna seemed to sense that hesitation and she quietly told Val, "You appear to be struggling with something, something that may require my help. Don't be shy—tell me what's on your mind." "I don't want you to think I'm crazy or anything…" "Ooh, sounds intriguing. I can't promise not to think you're not crazy but I can promise to hear you out." Anna paused expectantly as she waited for Val to make her decision. "I have something-" Val began saying and then she stopped and shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she started anew, explaining, "I have the chance to try something. There may or may not be a risk involved but I won't know until I try." "What sort of thing is it and why is it risky?" "I'm sure Jordan has talked to you about Nathan West's stabbing and the Joe Scartone case?" "She's mentioned it in passing but we haven't had any extensive conversations concerning either case. You have a theory of your own about the cases that you want to pursue?"

Val's nervousness increased since it was now time to get to the heart of the reason for calling Anna. Swallowing and then exhaling, Val began, "Ok. It's widely assumed in the department that Joey Robbs is responsible for several robberies of various upscale estates in Port Charles. So far, no one has been able to tie him to anything, though." "Yes, I'm aware of that—he was a thorn in the side of the PCPD even when I was Commissioner. He's very clever when it comes to handling the merchandise from these robberies. No one is sure how he connects buyers to sellers." "Yeah, I'm aware of that. So I was looking at the master lists of the stolen items from the different jobs and I wondered, 'Would it be possible, since he doesn't know who I am, to get him to sell something to me, something specifically from the robberies?'" Val fell silent, waiting for Anna's response so far to what she had been saying. After mulling over what Val had stated thus far, Anna finally offered, "If I understand you correctly, you're thinking about setting up some kind of sting operation designed to trap Joe Scartone. You're right, it is risky. Chiefly because you're not trained in undercover work, which this essentially is. But say you're successful—you somehow manage to connect him to any or all of the robberies through receiving stolen merchandise. What then?"

"At the very least, we might be able to get him on several counts of grand larceny or something. If we could get him for that, we could hold him and maybe imprison him while building a case against him for Nathan's stabbing."

"We?"

"Well, the department." "Grand larceny is a far cry from an indictment for attempted murder, Valerie. Even if you managed it, he wouldn't go away for very long. What's your true goal here? Why, for instance, did you bring this to me instead of taking it to Jordan and Dante? Was it because you knew neither of them would approve?"

"When I first got my degree, I thought about becoming a cop. My mom got sicker and my plans had to be adjusted so I could be there for her. Flash forward to me hearing about your exploits as a spy, which left me wondering if I had what it took to do what you did. Adopt a persona, go undercover, accomplish a mission, and put a bad guy away."

"Which sounds like a noble undertaking but you have no training for such a 'mission'."

"When you did what you did for the WSB, had you been formally trained?"

"Somewhat, yes. You can't do what I did for them and not have some training. But for the most part, it was flying blind by the seat of my pants. Training can only take you so far once you're actually in the thick of things."

"I'm not talking about deep cover or spying for my country or anything. I want to know if I have what it takes to set this up and make it happen. It's not some huge sting operation or anything. I just plan to hang around the pool hall where Joey Robbs is known to frequent, drop a couple of hints about wanting to purchase some items, see if I can get those items, complete my transaction, get out." Anna was shaking her head as she listened to Val's plan and she responded, "I understand. It sounds simple, doesn't it? Get in, accomplish your mission, get out. The problem is that you're dealing with a killer who wouldn't hesitate to end your life if he catches on to what you're doing. There's nothing simple about undercover work, Val. It's dangerous, nerve wracking, stressful work, even if you have been trained. For a novice—I don't know…"

"Which is why I was hoping to get some tips from you about how to make this happen."

"Tips? From me? You know Jordan will kill us both if she finds out about this, don't you?"

"As long as she finds out about it AFTER I complete my mission." Falling silent once again, Anna appeared to be deep in thought. Eventually, she turned to Val and held her gaze and with a sober look told her, "Ok, you want some tips from me. Fine. First of all, don't do it. That's my first, knee-jerk response. But since I sense your mind is made up, then here it is. Believe in your cover. Become your cover. You have no other existence while conducting your operation. Compartmentalize. Who you truly are ends the moment you cross their threshold. Even if your life is threatened, the cover must hold—that's the only way you have a chance of being believed if you're caught. Anyone else you pull into this must help you sustain the cover. Anything you tell them should be able to be proven. If you use fake identification, it has to be top notch because they'll most likely initially be suspicious of your motives; they'll want you to prove your reasons for approaching them are genuine. Confidence is crucial. There is no room for error. Know when your operation is going south and get out while the operation is still going in your favor. Once you're caught, there's nothing nice waiting for you. I'm saying Scartone WILL kill you. Have no doubts about that. Keep your cover simple, as close to who you are and what you can easily remember. If you don't recognize a name or an incident he mentions, don't try to bluff and say you do. It's most likely a trap. If you use a disguise, make sure it looks authentic. If you use an accent, never drop it, no matter what. If you go into this man's territory, nothing he does or says must shock you—have no reaction. You're there to accomplish your mission and get out. If he orders a hit right in front of your face, polite disinterest. If you overhear plans for another robbery, it doesn't faze you. All you want is what you went there for. Valerie Spencer might be shocked or have a reaction but whoever you choose as your cover can't afford to. In a nutshell, never let him see you sweat. This is a dangerous undertaking, Valerie, have absolutely no doubts about that. If you start this, you'll have to commit wholeheartedly because if you can't get him, you may be putting a target on your back. You really need to give this some serious consideration. I don't advise you to go through with it."

Val had experienced an inward battle as she listened to Anna's advice. There was a part of her that was scared to death at what Anna was describing. She could easily be killed if this thing went wrong. She was beginning to grasp the seriousness of what she was planning. There was another part of her, though, that wanted to see it through. How would she ever know if it was something she could have done if she didn't try? The idea of not doing it because of fear didn't set well with her. Aloud, she replied, "I've heard what you have to say, Anna and trust me, I'm not taking it lightly. I bow to your knowledge, expertise and experience. There is a part of me that's saying, 'Listen to her, you nut!' I will feel like such a failure if I don't try, though. If I allow fear to keep me from even trying—I just don't think I could live with that."

"Understand this, then. Sometimes it's not your fear talking, it's your common sense. It's wisdom attempting to keep you from making a huge mistake. Do this for me, ok? If you insist on this recklessness, and don't fool yourself, you're being reckless right now, let me know where and when along the way. The level of anger Jordan is going to have for us both will be extreme but I can't let you do this by yourself without having someone on the outside monitoring. Wearing a bug or a wire won't work because that has to be done officially through the department, and it's better to keep things simple. They can't find what isn't there. This isn't an operation that is sanctioned by the department so there may be legal issues with any evidence you manage to collect. You can bet his lawyer will argue that you had no standing and try to get anything you find to be reconsidered and thrown out of any court. Don't rush into this thing, Valerie. Take the time to think it through. Pro and con it out and then make a decision. Whatever you decide, commit to it. And keep me in the loop, ok?"

"I can do that. I really appreciate you listening to me, Anna and for giving me the benefit of your experience. I want you to know that I'm not taking anything you say lightly."

"But I haven't been able to talk you out of anything, right?" They laughed together as Val acknowledged the validity of her statement.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val was pensive as she arrived home that evening. Anna had indeed given her a lot to think about. When she had been talking to Pippa, she expected the opposition and hadn't taken it as seriously as she should have done since Pips wasn't law enforcement. Anna, however, was another matter altogether. She had been there, so to speak. She knew the metallic taste of fear in her mouth when going into a potentially dangerous situation. Most likely, she also knew what happened when a cover was blown. It wasn't anything to be taken lightly.

When Val entered the bedroom, Dante was lying on the bed channel surfing and he looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, asking, "Where have you been? I thought you went home sick today but when I get here, you're nowhere in sight." "I think I just needed some air or something. I was in the park and I ran into Anna Devane. We got to talking about undercover life-"

"That again? Seriously, Val, doing undercover work sounds more glamorous than it really is. I hope she was able to convey that to you. She did it successfully for a lot of years, true, but she's paid for that life along the way. She paid, Scorpio paid, even her daughter Robin paid. The road of a spy isn't an easy one to travel. Like I told you before, I'm glad that's something we don't have to worry about. I came home to take care of you but you weren't here. How do you feel now?"

"Much better, Dante. I think the fresh air helped tremendously. Cleared my mind, which helped settle my body."

"Cleared your mind? About what?" He held his arms open towards her and after she kicked her shoes off, she crawled onto the bed and into his embrace.

"I'm still seriously thinking about going to the academy. The desire is getting stronger and weighing out the pros and cons of acting on my thoughts had my stomach in knots and was making me slightly nauseous. I don't want to regret going for it but I also don't want to regret not going for it."

"Well, the department can always use good, dedicated cops. I think you'd be good at it—I just don't know if my heart could take it. I realize that since it's what I do, though, it would be somewhat hypocritical if I objected to you becoming one. I don't have the right to stop you if your heart is set on it. I'll do my best to support you."

"So I have your backing with whatever I decide to do?"

"Of course. Always."

"That's good to know. I might end up reminding you in the future that you said that." Only Valerie knew that they were actually talking about two separate things so Dante, reinforcing what he had previously said, told her, "I want you to be happy and if becoming a cop will fulfill some dream or desire you have, I don't intend to stand in your way."

Pushing him back and moving over him, Val smiled down at him. "You know, there are times when I love you, and then there are times when I really, really love you!"

"Ok. But what'd I do?"

"You told me I have your support, one hundred percent. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

"You could show me how much it means to you…"

"I could, later. Have you eaten?"

"No. I was waiting for you to get home."

"Let's do this. Let's go to Fat Bob's for dinner. I'm in the mood to celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"Being that much closer to making a decision about the academy. We'll go, we'll eat and then, when we get home, I can show you how much I appreciate having your support."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that night while Dante slept the sleep of the sated, Val lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She had taken Anna's advice and pro and conned the mission. She had looked at it from every angle she could think of. Danger was part of the life for a cop and especially for an undercover cop. If she intended to embrace this new career path, she had to accept that danger would be a daily challenge to overcome. She was used to overcoming challenges. She had to know if she had what it took to become successful as an undercover cop and this undertaking, she felt sure, would definitely tell her what she needed to know. Her mind was made up—she was gonna go for it. For better or for worse.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	42. Chapter 42

Ch. 42

The first thing Dante noticed as he and Val were preparing to leave the next morning was that Val wasn't wearing her usual finery for work. She was also carrying a workout bag as she descended the stairs. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear jeans to work since you started working at the shop, have I?" "Probably not. I'm usually 'admin dressy' but I plan to go to the fitness club tonight and get in a good workout, so I thought I'd dress down today."

"You're going to work out tonight? Wow—you don't mess around, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just that once you decide on something, you really commit! I'm assuming you're going to the gym to start improving your conditioning in preparation for the academy, right?"

"You got me! If I'm gonna be impressive, it's gotta be from the beginning! I certainly don't intend to embarrass myself or my supporters in the department. If I play this right, I'm gonna blow you away."

"Well I hope you know you don't have to do anything to impress ME, don't you? Knowing you the way I do, I know you'll do your best, and that's more than enough for me. Don't concentrate on blowing away the 'competition', ok—way too much pressure to put on yourself."

"You have a point but I'm looking forward to pushing myself to see how far I can go and what I can accomplish. It's a good time for a challenge. For a while, though, it might mean less time for us…"

"You're already kicking me to the curb?"

"Of course not! I'm only saying that I'll try not to get obsessive about this but I really want to do well, which means focusing on accomplishing my goal. I don't want you to feel like I'm kicking you to the curb, though-"

"Val, I was only joking with you. I like that you're planning to wholeheartedly take this on and that you have goals. We'll have time for each other so don't worry about that. I think the fact that we're not totally wrapped in each other and we have our own stuff going on will only make us better as a couple."

"I think you're right. That's what I'm hoping too, that we do what makes us a better, stronger couple. I know I'll see you at the shop but afterwards? We reconnect later on tonight?"

"Yeah. I was gonna hang with Nathan at Jake's for a while after work. Ever since I got saddled with Hill, West and I haven't gotten a chance to hash out cases the way we used to and I miss that. Plus I know he wants to gripe about being stuck on desk duty—it might end up being a long night. When I get home, though, we'll make sure to make time for each other—deal?"

"Deal." Together they left the penthouse and rode the elevator to the first floor. In the lobby, Rodney, the daytime concierge stopped Val with, "Miss Spencer, good morning. A package arrived for you this morning—I was on my way to deliver it to you." "Ok, Rodney, thanks. Go ahead and go," she told Dante, "and I'll see you at work." After giving her a kiss, Dante left the lobby. Val made sure he had cleared the building and then she asked for the package she had been expecting from Pippa. Receiving it and thanking Rodney again, she walked to the corner of the lobby and opened it. She perused the driver's license and the identification card for what seemed like a long moment, also noticing that Pips had added a red lace thong as Val had asked her to in another text. "Kelli Allen. Hmm. Ok, from now on, whenever I'm in Joey Robbs' territory, I'm twenty-eight year old Kelli Allen from Philadelphia, PA. I have brown eyes and medium-length black hair. Alex Arondale is my man and I'm doing all this for him. I believe in the cover. I'm gonna live the cover and never waver from it. I have confidence. I'm gonna pull this off." Val smiled as a sense of empowerment and exhilaration swept over her while staring at the IDs. She was gonna rock the hell out of this mission—she could feel it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Val used the hammer strength machine in the fitness club after work, she mentally reviewed her strategy. Appearing casual was the first step in her opinion. She had come across some information, she wanted to check on the accuracy of that information and that was how she came to be at The Lucky Roll pool hall. "Don't come across as over anxious or overly interested. Don't make it seem like it matters nearly as much as it does." She glanced at the wall clock on the gym wall. No more stalling. Time to either fish or cut bait.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're new. What's a pretty little thing like you want in here?" Kelli looked at the stranger with a barely disguised frown before responding, "I ain't little, I ain't a thing, but I'll give you the pretty." Dizzy smirked at her with raised eyebrows and then nodded his head, saying, "You got that, you got that. Whatchu want here, though?" "What, you got some kinda law about someone like me bein' in here or somethin'?" "Naw, but I ain't seen your face around here, and it's a face I'd remember. Guess I'm suspicious of new faces." "Must be great for business. I'm lookin' for someone—I heard he hangs here." "Who you lookin' for?" "All I know is one name—Joey." At that, Dizzy began laughing as he remarked, "Look around, lady. You gonna have a hard time findin' only one guy named Joey in here!" Laughing with him, Kelli conceded the point. "My bad. The guy I want has a rep for bein' able to get stuff." "Get stuff?" "Yeah. Like say I want somethin'. I tell this guy and he can get it for me." "Somethin' like what?" Kelli's barely disguised frown turned to an all-out frown as she said, "You kinda in my business, man. What, you the guy I'm lookin' for? 'Cause if you ain't, you askin' too many questions for me."

Dizzy paused and stared at Kelli for a moment. "Naw, I ain't the guy you lookin' for," he finally answered, going on, "but I think I know who he is. Let's go over to that booth in the corner and talk." Once they were sitting across from one another, Dizzy noted, " You ain't from around here. Who put you on to him?"

"Aroun' my way, some old guy started hangin' in the park in my 'hood. Likes to run his mouth. He said he had 'connections' in Port Charles and he knew a guy who could get anyone whatever they wanted, for a price."

"This guy—what's his name?"

"I didn't ask his name—I wasn't tryna be his friend and stuff." His eyes narrowing, Dizzy inquired, "What's this guy look like?" "Man, I didn't check the guy out! I don't know, old. Kinda tall, skinny. Scraggly grey hair. Oh, yeah, and he was wearin' a baseball cap. That's all I got."

"Sounds kinda like Scribbs but last I heard, he was in Jersey, not Philly."

"Couldn't tell ya. I didn't get his name but I guess it ain't your 'Scribbs' 'cause this guy was in Philly." "It had to be him, though. He's the only one stupid enough to be runnin' his mouth about Joey Robbs like they're buddies or somethin'." Kelli's heart rate accelerated at the mention of Joey Robbs' name but she played it cool as she remarked, "Joey Robbs? Is that the guy I'm lookin' for?" "Yeah." "Ok. So how do I get with him?" "Whadda you want from him?" "Dude, seriously, you his front man or somethin'? Why you askin' me all these questions if you ain't the guy I want?"

"You got a problem answerin' questions?" "When I think someone's bein' nosy, yeah. If I gotta talk to you before I talk to him, say that; otherwise, you just somebody tryna be all up in my business. I'm not down for that." Putting her hands on the table, Kelli acted as though she was getting up to leave.

Giving her a wide smile, Dizzy told her, "Ok, ok, slow your roll, girl. Gotta ask questions sometimes—it pays to be suspicious. For all I know, you might be a cop." In disgust, Kelli huffed, "You the one got me on spotlight. I look like a cop to you? I came in here to do some business and all I get is you in my grill. You tryin' to trap ME or somethin'? Maybe YOU the cop." "What's your name, girly?" "Kelli, but my friends call me 'Honey'," she replied, adding, "because most of the time, I'm sweet as." "You definitely fine as. Maybe I'll get a chance to find out how sweet." A bark of laughter escaped before she could stop it and when Dizzy gave her an offended look, Kelli raised her hand in a placating way, telling him, "Sorry. Just got a flash of my man jackin' you up for thinkin' you could come near. He'd kill you first and then me if he thought I was tryna creep. I'm all about my man, though, so you got no shot." With disappointment, Dizzy asked, "You got a man, huh? Shoulda figured." "Yeah. He's why I'm here. Gotta special day comin' up and I wanted to get somethin' for him." "Somethin' like what?" "Ol' dude said this Joey could get whatever I wanted. I'm after two Sig Sauers—one for my man and one for me." "That's a lotta gun for a little girl like you." "You try to piss off all your customers or am I special?" "Naw, just sayin'. You don't look like the type." "The type to what, carry? My man knows his way aroun' guns so I wanna impress him. He's been meanin' to get himself one but he hasn't done it yet. I get this for him, I'm solid in his eyes."

"Let me see some ID." Warily, Kelli narrowed her eyes at Dizzy, wondering, "Why you want my ID?" "Gotta check somethin'—you gotta problem with that?" "It ain't easy just passin' my ID aroun' to strangers but whatever," she muttered, fishing in her jean pocket for her license and ID card. She slid them across the table and Dizzy picked them up, gazing hard at both cards. Pushing them back in her direction he announced, "I think we might be able to do some business, Miss Kelli Allen of 5258 Hazel Street, Philadelphia, PA. You got a number where I can call you?" Cocking her head to the side, Kelli appeared to visibly wince before scratching her head through the cap she was wearing. Sensing her hesitation, Dizzy rolled his eyes. "Look, you wanna do business, I gotta have a way to get you. I ain't tryna hook up or anythin' ok?" Sighing heavily, Kelli gave him the number to her burner phone. "I don't give that number to anyone so I'm trustin' ya. You sayin' we can do business?" "I'll check aroun', get back to you." "Cool." Getting up from the table, Kelli paused and pointed in his direction, asking, "You gotta name?" "Yeah, my friends call me Dizzy 'cause back in the day I had a turn aroun' jumper that'd make you dizzy." "Trackin' that. Ok, Dizzy. Let me know." She almost extended her hand but at the last minute stopped herself, thinking, "Let him offer his hand first." On cue, Dizzy stuck his hand up toward her and said, "Nice to meetcha, little girl." Seeing her bristling, he laughed and added, "Jus' messin' with you, Honey. I'll be in touch."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leaving the pool hall, Kelli took a deep breath and then crossed the doorway threshold. Pausing briefly on the sidewalk, she looked to her left and then to her right before leisurely making her way back to the Port Charles Spa and Fitness Club where Valerie Spencer was waiting to resume her life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie walked into the Women's locker room of the fitness club and changed out of her disguise, packing it away carefully into her gym bag. She then placed the bag into a locker she had specifically rented for the purpose of storing it. She made her way to the sitting area near the front of the locker room and collapsed into the nearest chair. She sat there for a moment and then began laughing almost hysterically. She had done it! At least, she thought she had. This "Dizzy" character didn't appear to be disbelieving of her story but time would tell the tale. This wasn't the time to become overconfident. She had laid the groundwork, baited the hook. Now it remained to be seen whether or not she could net the big fish.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they sat down to a late dinner, Dante asked Val, "So, how was your workout? Did stretching your muscles make you wanna quit or work harder?" Still feeling somewhat euphoric, Val responded, "I feel like I could conquer the world!" When Dante frowned at her expansive answer, she amended, "Well, I feel stronger, anyway. I pushed myself harder than I've ever done before, something I'm sure I'll regret tomorrow when my body protests my ill treatment of it." "Pace yourself, Val. Don't forget, you don't have to prove anything to anyone so don't end up hurting yourself. It's been a while since you've been in the gym. Start small and build up." Giving him a wide smile Val said, "I definitely don't plan to go beyond my limits. Tempered confidence, that's what I have. I just feel good. How was your talk with Nathan?"

"I feel for the guy, for sure. He's sure he's ready to hit the streets but Jordan won't sign off on it so he's all ticked off. Of course I had to appear to take his side but if I'm being honest, I agree with her. I keep seeing him lying on the ground covered in blood. He might never be one hundred percent but I want him to be as close to it as he can be before he gets back out there. Joey Robbs is still a free man and if they tango again, I want Nathan to be at his best. I have a feeling that if he gets caught off-guard again, this time, he might not make it through. I still can't believe we haven't been able to apprehend that slug. And the weirdest thing? I think I want him more than I ever did Sonny when I went after him. Sittin' across from me tellin' me my partner deserved to get stabbed in the back! Smirkin' because he's thinkin' he's gettin' away with somethin'. No, I don't think I've ever wanted to take down a bad guy the way I want to take Joey Robbs."

"You can't see the future, Just Mine. You never know when that crucial evidence will show up or something happens that cracks the case wide open." "True enough, but him bein' so smug is what kills me. I wanna plant his fat face right into the concrete when we take him down, just like I promised him." Dante stared off into space as he allowed that fantasy to play out in his head. Suddenly coming to himself, he realized Val was sitting quietly, watching him. With a sigh, he admitted, "Ok, maybe that was a bit over the top. I don't want to get eaten up about this, Angel—I only want him off the streets for what he did to my partner." "Hey, I get it, believe me. You don't have to explain how you feel to me, Dante. I was with you at the hospital, remember? When the time is right, we'll get him." "We'll?" "Well, you all. Although if I make it through the academy, I'll be even more a part of the 'we'll', won't I? In the meantime, though, I'm still a member of the PCPD family like you told Maxie that night. I want to see justice done, too."

"Then WE'LL do what we can to make that happen. Oh, I just remembered. What was in the package you got this morning?" Startled, Val answered, "My friend Pippa sent me a thong, of all things! I told her I was dating and I guess she thought she was being clever. It's been a while since she's seen me date so she doesn't want me to mess this up."

"A thong, huh? Your girl Pippa sounds like a woman after my own heart! When do I get a preview of this thong?" "A preview? What are you willing to do to get this preview?" "Whatever you want me to do." "Ok. If you'll go fill the tub with some warm, soapy water so I can soak my sore muscles, we can first enjoy that and afterwards, I'll give you a private, exclusive lingerie fashion show. Wait until you get a load of me in that red thong with my red Jeffrey Campbell pumps. Make you holler." "We'll see which one of us ends up hollering, baby. You're on." Dante dashed up the stairs to comply with Val's wishes. Once she had made sure he was distracted, she went to her purse, retrieved her cell phone and sent two texts. To Pippa: Girl, thx 4 the docs! Good stuff—came in handy. Thank Nicky 4 me, 2. TTYL. She paused and then sent the next one to Anna: Anna, I made contact today. So far, so good, I think. Will let u know when I hear from contact. Thx again.

Val stood and mentally reviewed the events of the day after sending her texts. She was still vacillating between elation and trepidation, which, she supposed, was a good thing. Confidence without being TOO overconfident, that was the key, she thought. In the middle of her musings, Dante yelled from the bathroom, "Hey, Angel—you coming or what?" "I'll be right there!" she shouted back. She put her cell phone back into her purse and sighed heavily, then adopted a bright smile before quickly making her way to the bathroom to enjoy what she hoped would be a much needed relaxing, fun-filled evening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	43. Chapter 43

Ch. 43

Valerie was down in the basement records room compiling some case files and notes for Detective Maitland when Kelli Allen's cell phone began buzzing in her pocket. For a brief moment, she was thrown off by it—her own phone was in her purse and it took her a second to realize which persona was being contacted. Taking a steadying breath, she paused and looked around the room to make sure she was still alone and then on the third ring, she answered, "Yeah, Kelli here." "Yo, Honey, it's Dizzy." "Hey, Dizzy, what's up?" "Got you an appointment. Come down here aroun' noon, see if what's here's worth your while." "Why, whatchu got?" "Gotta come see." "Cool. Noon? That'll work." They disconnected and Val began the mental preparation of going back into the lions' den. She had a little over two hours until noon, which meant she would have to hustle to finish the compilation for Maitland, deliver whatever information she found to him, get over to the gym, change, and make her way over to the pool hall. Remembering her promise, she immediately sent a text to Anna with an update.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Randy Hill was waiting for Val when she finally emerged from the basement and he gave her a wide smile as he asked, "Hey Val, wanna go grab some lunch?" "Oh, Randy, I'd love to but I have an errand to run and I don't know how long it'll take me. Raincheck?" "What're you doing? Maybe I can go along with and we can have something after." "No, trust me, this isn't the kind of errand a woman likes having a guy along for, if you get what I mean." All manner of gynecological horrors dancing around in his head, Randy quickly backpedaled, telling her, "Gotcha. We can absolutely take a raincheck. You go take care of 'whatever you've gotta' and I'll catch you later, ok?" "You've got it." She gave him a smile and a wink before making her way down the hallway to the back door and the patio area of the PCPD. Walking toward her in the hallway with a rapidly spreading grin at seeing her was Dante and her heart sank a little. She had been hoping she would be able to get successfully out of the precinct without seeing him. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him but she was concerned that he would want to know what she was doing and where she was going—she really didn't want to lie to him. Somehow, she would have to learn Creative Truth-Telling 101, she supposed. As expected, he stopped her, wondering, "Hey Angel, where're you headed?" "I have an errand to run, Dante, and I'm kind of running late so I don't really have a lot of time to talk…" Val winced inwardly at the puzzlement on Dante's face and she held her breath as he slowly answered, "Ok. I don't wanna keep you from anything… Is it something I can help with?"

"Not really, it's just something I need to take care of. If it works out, I'll tell you all about it—if it doesn't, it won't matter anyway. It's not a big deal, Dante, just something I need to do." Flashing what she hoped was an innocent-looking smile, she darted down the hall and out of the back door of the PCPD.

Against his will, Dante's radar went on full alert. He trusted Val but unless he was mistaken, she seemed to be being a bit evasive. Of course she had the right to her privacy so even though something was telling him to investigate further, he decided to let it go. Whatever it was, he was sure she would let him in on it if he needed to know. Still, he thought with a frown, it wasn't like her to be so secretive…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Honey. Didn't think you were comin' for a minute." "Tole you I would. I got turned aroun' comin' down here—not used to your streets. You on a timetable or somethin'?"

"Not me. Take a pew—wait here." Dizzy disappeared into the back of the pool hall and Kelli used the time alone to settle her nerves. Dizzy called her name twice before she realized he was trying to get her attention. He gestured for her to follow him and her heart rate shot through the roof. "Here we go, girl," she thought as she trailed him down the hall to an office. Outside the office door, Dizzy gave her an apologetic look as he explained, "Gotta pat you down. Nothin' personal." "Gotta do what you gotta do," she agreed. Satisfied that she wasn't carrying any weapons or bugging equipment, he nodded and then opening the door widely, he said, "This's the girl I was tellin' you 'bout, Joey. I'll leave you to it." He shut the door and Kelli found herself face to face with Joe "Joey Robbs" Scartone, who was seated behind a desk. Anna's advice came flooding back to her as she adopted a casual, uninterested air, waiting for him to speak first. When he finally did, he told her, "Take a seat. Dizz tells me you came all the way from Philly to do business wit' me. You can't get the guns you need from home—you have to come here? Sounds kinda strange to me."

"It ain't that I can't get guns in Philly, it's that I wanted untraceable ones. I figured if I got 'em from somewhere else, I wouldn't run into any problems later. Dizzy made me think we could make that happen but if we can't, no big."

"Don't be so hasty, little girl. I didn't say we couldn't, did I? Jus' that what you're sayin' seems weird to me. Dizz also tole me you want the guns for your man. He can't buy his own piece?" Rolling her eyes toward the ceiling and then frowning as she stared at the floor briefly, Kelli eventually raised her gaze to Joey Robbs, explaining, "Look, I'm not tryna turn this into a case, ok? If he tole you I wanted a piece for my man, he shoulda tole you why. I ain't jus' lookin' for any kinda Sig. I'm after some Scorpions. Ol' dude back home said you the man who could get 'em, so I made the trip. You either got 'em or you don't. You don't, I gotta come up wit' somethin' else to give my man for our anniversary, that's all." They stared at each other for what felt to Kelli like forever. "Call him." "What?" "Your man. Get him on the phone." "This's s'posed to be a surprise for him-" "I look like I care 'bout that? Call him," he added, pushing the phone on the table in her direction. Glaring at him, Kelli rapidly punched the buttons which would connect her. "Alex's Auto Body and Repair, go for Alex." "Alex," Kelli began saying before the phone was snatched from her hand. "Who'm I speakin' to?" "Alex. Why? Who'm I speakin' to?" "You don't need to know my name." "Then we don't need to be talkin'," Alex said in disgust, preparing to hang up. "Hold up, Alex. Got someone here who says she knows you, name of Honey. Ring any bells?" "Honey?" Alex almost denied knowing anyone with that name but he remembered his sister's instructions just in time and he added, "Only 'Honey' I know is my girl Kelli and it better not be her because her ass just disappeared on me without tellin' me where she was goin'. If she's there, put her on." Handing the receiver back to her with a speculative look, Joey shook his head and said, "Your man doesn't sound too happy with you." "Alex? Hang on," she tried to say and then held the receiver away from her as she was blasted with an earful of 'angry Alex'. "But-" she interjected again and then paused as he continued going off. Finally, Kelli was able to interrupt her "boyfriend," yelling, "Alex! Stop yellin' at me! I didn't tell ya where I was goin' 'cause it's s'posed to be a surprise, ok? Look, I ain't tellin' ya where I am! If I get what I came for you'll see soon enough, a'ight? Jus' let me do what I came here for, damn! I'll see ya when I get home! Yeah, I love you, too!" She handed the receiver back to Joey Robbs with a frustrated sigh, asking, "Ya happy? Now I'm gonna catch hell for tryna do somethin' I thought my man would like! He better be ready to kiss my behind when I get back! 'f I didn't love him, it wouldn't even be worth all this drama." Kelli shook her head and stared off into space, supposedly thinking about all the "trouble" she was going to be in when she was reunited with Alex.

"How'd you know I had Scorpions?" Joey broke into her reverie to inquire. "I didn't know if you had 'em or not. Like I said before, ol' dude said he knew someone who could get anythin' anybody wanted, for a price. I took a chance. You had 'em, you had 'em; you didn't, you didn't, that's all." "You know who I am?" "Yeah. 'Joey'." "Besides that. You knew my name before you came to town, didn't you?" "I tole Dizzy that I heard your name was Joey. More than that, I didn't know or care. I ain't from here an' sorry, but where I'm from, 'Joey Robbs' don't mean jack. I'm startin' to think you jus' got me twistin' here, though. You don't have what I want an' I don't need no more trouble with my man, so I should jus'-"

"I don't know you from a can o' paint, either, little girl, but I can't be too careful. You wouldn't be able to prove where I got what I got from, anyway. Yeah, I got some Scorpions. How many you want?"

"Two."

"Cost you three 'Gs'." Kelli began laughing softly and then she muttered, "Ok, I guess I got that comin'. I mus' look like Boo Boo the fool to you. Nineteen fifty." "I look like I'm runnin' a charity? Twenty-eight hundred." Kelli had to remind herself of her true mission because she was beginning to enjoy herself as she bargained with Joey Robbs. She couldn't say she liked the man but she wasn't finding him nearly as threatening as she thought she would. It wouldn't do to forget who he was or why she was here. Aloud she countered, "Twenty-three fifty, man." Joey squinted at her narrowly, responding, "You know how much you'd pay for these on the market? Twenty-three fifty is lowballing it, big time." "'f I was buyin' 'em out there, I'd figure I'd pay full price, but I ain't though. 'f you could unload 'em for three, why you still got 'em? I can go twenty-three fifty but that's it. We can't deal, we can't deal." She waited expectantly on his answer, her heart hammering away inside while she outwardly appeared casual.

"You got it on you?" he eventually queried with a slight smirk. "Yep." "Let's see it." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her wallet. Carefully, Kelli counted out two piles of one hundred dollar bills, ten in each. Joey's eyebrows rose when she stopped counting momentarily. He nodded at the table and she slid the last three hundred fifty down by the other bills. Laughing, he got up from behind the desk and walked over to a wall safe. After turning the dial a few times, he reached in and removed a metal case. Sitting the case on the desk, he made eye contact with Kelli, who was trying valiantly not to show her excitement. He flipped the locks on the case and swiveled it so she could see the merchandise she had just purchased. Leaning forward, she nodded and smiled, remarking, "Pretty." Robbs let out a guffaw of disbelief, answering, "Pretty? Guess that's one word for 'em. Bargain, more like. Gotta let you know, little girl, I don't usually haggle over the price of my merchandise, but I like your face. It's a very pretty face. I hope it always stays a very pretty face." Startled, Kelli's gaze flew to his and she blinked a couple of times in shock, unable to halt the involuntary movement. "Meanin'?" she had the presence of mind to ask. "Meanin' I'm handin' over my merchandise on a whole lotta trust, girlie." "Handin' over? Like I didn't jus' pay you almos' three grand?" "No, like I don't know you or how you came to be here, only what you're tellin' me. Meanin' that you're gonna walk outta here with two o' my guns and after that, I don't know. If I get any heat after this transaction, though, I think I'll know where it came from. You need to know somethin' 'bout me. Two things I don't like—bein' played an' bein' screwed over. I'm a patient man an' I can wait as long as I have to when gettin' payback. If you're screwin' wit' me here, I promise you, the last words you'll ever say'll be 'Please don't'. Won't be no mercy comin' though. You understandin' me?"

For a moment, all pretenses were dropped as Kelli swallowed audibly. "Stay cool," she reminded herself, noticing her breathing had accelerated. "I understand you, man, but look. We don't have to go through wit' this if you think I'm tryna bring some beef to your door. I can take my money an' bounce. Totally up to you." Once again, they stared at one another across the desk. Kelli forced herself not to be the one to look away or flinch first but it was a struggle. Snorting aloud, Joey mentioned, "You got balls, little girl, I'll say that much." "Been tole that before." "Guess they breed 'em tough in Philly, huh?" "Tough enough." After a slight hesitation, Robbs slid the case across the desk toward her. "The guns're yours—the case's mine." "I don't even get the case? How'm I s'posed to get 'em outta here?" "Sounds like you gotta problem that ain't mine to fix," he snickered. "I'll jus' tuck 'em into my waist under my coat, I guess. No big." Joey reached down into a drawer of his desk and removed a soft cloth. He picked up one of the weapons and began wiping it down. Willing herself not to panic Kelli halted him with, "Before you do that, I've gotta favor to ask." "You already got a deal. What else you need?" "Show me how to load it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kelli controlled her breathing with an effort. She was almost at the finish line—she couldn't afford to blow everything now. The suspicion was back on Joey Robbs' face in full force as he asked incredulously, "You expect me to give you ammo, too? Mags'll cost you extra. You don't know how to load one of these things?" Deciding to unburden herself, Kelli confessed, "Ok. You were kinda right and so was your man Dizzy. It's a lotta gun and I don't usually carry. But I'm wit' Alex now, an' HE does. I mighta tole him I know my way aroun' guns 'cause I wanted him to be impressed with me. I think I know how to load it but I wanna be sure. Not tryna look like a fool when I give him his, or when we go shootin'."

"You goin' through a lot of trouble for your Alex."

"'F I didn't think he was worth it, I wouldn't bother. He's worth it. How much extra are the mags?"

"Fifty each. But here's the deal. You don't get 'em until you're outta my office and out by the front of the pool hall."

"You gonna show me how to load it out there? Why?" "'Cause you might NOT know who I am, and you might. For all I know, you're a ringer brought in to take me out. What kinda fool I look like, gettin' taken out with my own gun?"

Kelli rubbed her forehead with her hand as she scrambled for the right words to keep the deal from going south. "This's your turf, right? I drop you, I don't even make it to the front door before someone out there takes me out. I don't know how hitmen work but I'm thinkin' I already spent too much time in here to make it outta here safely wit' no one knowin' what I did. Kinda pointless, ain't it?" Again she held her breath as she waited for his response.

With a small exhalation, Robbs walked back to his safe and retrieved two loaded magazines, plunking them down on the desk in front of her. Still watching her, he took one of the guns out of the case and held it in his left hand, explaining, "It's simple, little girl. Take the mag like this and pop it up in place wit' jus' a bit o' force. This here's the slide, ok? Pull it back an' let it go. Push down on this little lever on the side, an' you're ready to rock and roll. Unload—press the magazine catch an' it falls right out, ok? Pull the slide back to make sure it's empty, check it, an' let it slide back in place. It's almos' idiot-proof." Kelli reached for the other gun and magazine. Hesitantly at first, she followed his instructions. After a couple of tries, she grew in confidence as she loaded and unloaded the pistol faster and faster. With a huge smile she told him, "You right! I got this!" Laughing at her in spite of himself, he told her, "Ok, slow your roll, Annie Oakley. Tole you, it's simple." Agreeing with him, she further mentioned, "It makes sense for me to go loaded, since I ain't got nothin' to carry 'em in." "Fine," he told her, motioning for her to hand him the gun she was holding. He wiped down each weapon and then handed them back to her on the cloth, watching as she tucked them both into the waistband of her jeans. "You gotta license to carry concealed? You don't, you in trouble if you get popped wit' those like that."

"Ain't worried 'bout gettin' popped—not plannin' to hit a liquor store on my way home or anythin'. Drive the limit, be all upstandin', get over the state line, surprise my man. He's gonna freak when he sees these!"

"Well ain't love grand?"

"Yeah, it is. Glad we could do business. I don't s'pose you want me spreadin' the word 'bout where I got these but 'f my man's happy wit' 'em, I might be back for somethin' else."

"Naw, don't 'spread the word'. Jus' enjoy the deal you got. We're done here."

"Cool." Walking her to the office door, he reminded her, "Don't forget what I tole you. Any heat comes my way, I know who you are and how to find you." "No sweat. I got what I wanted, my man's gonna get what he wanted—that's it."

As she left the pool hall she kept chanting mentally, "Stay cool, Kelli, stay cool." She didn't think she was imagining the eyes boring into her back when she climbed into her rental car and drove away. Taking a circuitous route back to the fitness club, she tried not to be paranoid, continuously checking her rear view mirror. Had she done it? Had she gotten away with it? When she was satisfied that she wasn't being followed, she pulled into the parking lot of the fitness club and made her way to her locker on shaky legs. Reaction continued to set in as Val looked around the room after opening her gym bag. She removed the two pistols, placing them inside. She changed into her work clothes and left the locker room, carrying the bag to her car. She wasn't sure what exactly she had just accomplished but a sense of elation finally swept over her once she realized she had actually sat across from Joey Robbs and walked away. Now all she had to do was stop shaking and get it together. She was going to be late coming back from her lunch break and she was going to have to make up a plausible excuse to Jordan for her tardiness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val entered the PCPD the way she had left—by the back door. Now that she had done what she had set out to do, she couldn't stop the paranoia. She made a brief stop in the restroom and texted Anna: "It's done, for what it's worth. I got the gear. Debrief later." Making her way to her desk in the squad room, Val put her gym bag on the floor and she sat down forcefully, releasing her first stress-free breath since leaving the precinct earlier. As expected, Jordan, followed closely by Dante and Randy, made a beeline to her desk. Right away, Jordan started in with, "You're late, Spencer. You-" Jordan paused mid-sentence, scrutinizing her before going on, "You don't look so good, that's what. You ok?" Dante was studying her face intently when she answered, "I'm fine, Commish. Sorry I'm late. My errand took longer than I thought it would." Dante closely observed her for a moment longer and then he added, "I'm assuming you had an appointment with the eye doctor."

"The eye doctor? No, why?"

"No? I didn't know you wore contacts. Since when are your eyes brown?" The color contacts. In her haste to get back to work, she had forgotten to remove them. They were all waiting expectantly for her to explain and she took a deep breath and then said, "Yeah, about that. Funny story…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	44. Chapter 44

Ch. 44

"I'm always in the mood for a funny story, Valerie," Jordan told Val, going on to ask her subordinates standing around Val's desk, "Aren't you guys down for hearing a funny story?" Dante replied, "For my part, I know I'm DYING to hear one, especially if it explains the brown contacts and the suspicious behavior." Swallowing deeply, Val made this suggestion, "Why don't we take this to your office, Commish? Things might be easier to explain in there." She reached down and picked up her gym bag, causing Jordan to inquire, "What's that for?" "What's in here will help me explain the brown eyes and everything else." In puzzlement, Jordan, Dante, and Randy all started to walk down the hall to Jordan's office. Val stopped and addressed Nathan, who was sitting at his desk. "You might as well come, too, Nathan, since this kind of concerns you, as well." His curiosity was peaked, and he got up and followed along.

Valerie took in the faces staring back at her with varying degrees of inquisitiveness and her nervousness increased. There was no taking back what she had done, however, and she was determined to state her case and let the chips fall. "First caveat I have," she told them, "is that you don't jump all over me until I've finished telling you my tale—can we agree on that?" "All I can promise is that I'll try not to, but it really depends on what you have to say, Val," Jordan replied, further saying, "so why don't you stop hedging and tell us what's going on?" "Ok. Let me show you these, first of all." Val opened the bag and pulled out her hoodie, laying it on Jordan's desk. She paused for a moment before pulling back the material and exposing the two pistols. There was a beat of silence and then Dante said as he reached for one of the guns, "Nice. Scorpions, right? I've only ever seen a couple of them in real life." Val stopped him before he could touch it as she cautioned, "Don't touch it with your bare hands, Dante! Just hang on for a minute." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of nitrile gloves, which he put on as he held her gaze. Once he was gloved, he asked, "Is it ok now?" "You'll have to tell me," she responded, "because even though the guns are clean, the magazines aren't."

"They're loaded?" Jordan wanted to know. "They are, because I didn't want the fingerprints on them to get smudged or anything," Val answered. She could see the beginnings of a slowly fraying temper as Jordan softly said, "Ok, I'm gonna try real hard not to go off on you for carrying concealed, loaded weapons in New York State. I'm not even gonna freak out because I'm pretty sure you don't have a permit for them, am I right? I just know the explanation you're gonna have for me is going to make me let all that go. Where did these Sigs come from?"

"If I'm not mistaken, from the Cameron Lawrence estate robbery about five months ago," Val murmured.

"A robbery that, if I'M not mistaken, we liked Joey Robbs for, isn't that right, Nathan?" Dante asked his friend.

"Yeah, that was our thought at the time, though we couldn't specifically connect him to it, as usual," Nathan said.

Dante nodded his head as he stated, "Yeah, that's what I remembered, too. Something tells me I'm not gonna like the next answer to this question, but how did you end up with these, Val?"

Her heart hammering in her chest, she began to enlighten them. "I overheard you all talking a few weeks back about how hard it was to get anything on Joey Robbs. While you were talking, I was looking at the lists of stolen items from the different robberies he's believed to have committed. A couple of the items, a pair of Sig Sauer Scorpions, caught my eye, and I wondered two things: If he still had them, and if he did, could I get him to sell them to me? I decided to put out the word quietly to a couple of people that I was interested in purchasing a couple of Sigs and then I waited. A couple of days later, I got a response and from that, I got a meeting with Joey Robbs. HE sold them to me for about twenty-three hundred dollars, twenty-four fifty if you count the two magazines."

Once again, silence descended on the group and then Dante quietly asked, "Where'd you get that kind of money?" "From my mom's life insurance. I still have some left over from the payout." Somewhat heatedly, Jordan wondered, "So you just went up to Joey Robbs—JOEY ROBBS!—and asked him to sell you some Sig Sauers, huh? And he thought, 'Sure, why not?' and sold them to you, someone who works for the police department?" "Not exactly. He didn't sell them to Valerie Spencer of Port Charles, New York. He sold them to brown-eyed Kelli Allen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." "Who the heck is Kelli Allen?" Randy asked her. "Kelli Allen is the name I used, the persona I adopted. SHE'S the one who got me in to see Joey Robbs." "What, you mean like some kind of alias? Something you'd use for an undercover operation?" he queried. "Exactly like that, Randy. I made up a name, got some IDs to match, put out the word that I was looking for the guns, and I got a nibble. I met with a guy who hangs out with Robbs and he connected me to Joey. He and I had a conversation, after which he sold me the guns and the magazines. He was very clever about wiping the guns down but I was able to distract him from doing the same to the magazines." "Where'd you get the IDs from?" Nathan wanted to know. Hesitating again, Val finally answered, "Ok, look. I don't want any heat for this guy. Nicholas Finnister is a friend of a friend from my old neighborhood. For a price, he was willing to help me out. More than that, I don't want to say."

Even more quietly, Dante slowly uttered, "Tell me you're lying right now. Because we won't even touch the legalities and the laws you've broken. BROKEN, Val. Jordan already mentioned a couple of them. This can't be true because-" A knock on the door interrupted him mid-sentence. Peeking his head into the room, Bill Johnson told them, "Falconeri, you've got a call from some detective up in Jersey. Sounded kinda important so I told him I'd hunt you down." "I'm definitely not done with this," he whispered to Val before leaving the room.

"Seriously, Val, tell me how you even thought of doing this! This is crazy! You're not qualified to do something like this, first of all! You've had no training, and-" Jordan broke off as another thought occurred to her, "you went in this blindly! Where was your back up? What if something would have happened to you, did you even think of that? This isn't a small thing you did here! Chances are good that we won't even be able to use the guns as evidence—his lawyers will get them thrown out, even if we can bring him to court! The idea that no one knew what you were doing has me wanting to pull my hair out! Or to pull YOURS out!"

"I was told there might be a problem with the evidence but I thought it was worth it anyway. If nothing else, they might be used as leverage or a bargaining tool." "You were told? By whom?" "Ok, once again, I don't want any heat for this person. I wasn't totally blind and alone. I did discuss it beforehand with someone and I got advice from this person before I went forward. The dangers were broken down for me but I wanted to know if I had what it took to go undercover and pull off a successful operation. So I went for it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone in the room was quiet as they assimilated what Val was saying. They were each having diverse reactions to her tale. Jordan was angry when she thought of the risks Val took and how she was going to be able to keep what Val had done quiet so her chances of entering the academy wouldn't be ruined before she even got started. Nathan was genuinely puzzled as to why Val was willing to attempt such a dangerous undertaking without back up after knowing what had happened to him. Randy, if he was being honest, was feeling a bit envious. He had told Dante he didn't know if he had what it took to go undercover and here Val not only obviously seemed to have the stones but she had successfully pulled it all off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While everyone back in Jordan's office was trying to figure out the best way to respond to Val's "funny story," Dante was taking his phone call after removing his gloves and stuffing them back into his jacket pocket. "Falconeri here." "Yeah, Detective, this is Officer Reynolds. I don't know if you remember me, but I was in on your interview with that Scribbs character. I was the one who told you about Crazy Carmine Garafalo." "Right, right, I remember who you are. What's up? You guys finally got a line on him?" "In a manner of speaking. He's dead." "You've gotta be kiddin'! What happened? Did Joey Robbs get to him, do you think?" "No, nothing like that. It wasn't a hit. He had a heart attack while 'servicing' his lady. Went right in the middle. What a way to go, huh?" "Yeah, totally. This couldn't be worse news. Damn." "Not necessarily. That's only part of the good news I had for you." "Dude, sorry, but this news couldn't be worse for the case against Joey Robbs or for gettin' justice for my partner." "Well, let me put it this way. In her distressed state, his girlfriend has been singing like a canary. Among his many belongings, our Carmine had a safety deposit box, to which our grieving 'widow' had the key. And you'll never guess what else, amongst a whole lotta good loot, was stashed in there." "I'll bite—what?" "Video recordings, that's what. We've got a few local guys we're gonna be able to hem up based on what we've seen and heard so far. Seems our Carmine wasn't the most trusting of bagmen. Two of the recordings are of one Joe 'Joey Robbs' Scartone—he actually gets this guy on camera sliding a picture of your friend toward him as he ordered the hit. The best part? Garafalo was a known, rabid Yankee fan so no one ever questioned the baseball hat he was never seen not wearing. The hat had a hidden video recorder, though. He's got stuff going back YEARS. Maybe there really is honor among thieves because he could have blown any one of these guys out of the water over the years with what he had on them, if he ever wanted to turn rat. I guess that's what saved them—that he wasn't a rat."

Feeling a strong sense of elation Dante asked Officer Reynolds, "How long have you guys had this information?" "We've been reviewing the tapes for a few days. It wasn't until we ran across the one with your guy that we remembered your interest in Garafalo. My boss told me to give you the heads up. You available to come back up here, take possession?" "Try to stop me!" he exclaimed, and then the events of the last hour came rushing back to his mind. "Well," he amended, "I'm in the middle of a situation right now, so it might be a day or two before I can make my way up there, plus I need to inform my boss. But we'll definitely work something out. Thanks for this, man." "Hey, no problem. I'm just glad it's gonna work out for all of us, including that old man Scribbs. He's become a real fixture around the neighborhood—hopefully you won't need him to testify, after all." "Probably not now, dependin' on what you guys actually have. It's a relief. Thanks again." They rang off and a broad smile spread over Dante's face as he remembered telling Robbs how he looked forward to being the one who put the cuffs on him, locking him away for good. A smile that quickly fell when he remembered what was waiting for him in Jordan's office…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What's the deal?" Nathan asked Dante when he returned to Jordan's office. "Coincidences being what they are, that call directly relates to the Joey Robbs case. Turns out that Carmine Garafalo has met his maker, in flagrante delicto, no less. He was givin' his girlie a good shaggin' and pegged out right in the middle. In her heartbroken state, she's burnin' down a whole lotta houses. Crazy Carmine had secret recordings of a lotta bad guys hirin' him for all kinds of stuff. He's actually got Robbs orderin' your hit, Nathan. We've gotta see what's on the tapes but if it's even close to what was described to me, I think we've finally got this scumbag. Not diggin' that it took Garafalo kickin' it for us to get Robbs, but I'll take the 'W', if things work out."

"That's hard to believe, Falconeri! Garafalo was actually able to make recordings of these guys without their knowledge? How'd he manage that?" wondered Randy. "Get this—he had a DVR setup in a Yankees hat. I guess he was crazy, all right. Crazy like a fox. Those recordings go back a few years, too. Sounds like he was settin' up insurance in case somethin' about one of his jobs went sideways. He coulda been rich if he'd gone into the blackmail business instead, although he obviously wasn't hurtin' for cash. In any case, dependin' on what's on the videos, our case just might be made for us-" he turned to Val and stared her down as he added, "even without shadily obtained weapons." Suddenly, everyone else in the room didn't know where to look as Dante and Val silently glared at each other. "Dante," she started to say when he held up a hand, saying, "Not here, not right now. Trust me." Into the highly charged atmosphere Jordan finally told them, "Ok, let's do this. You guys take off, go hash this out. In the morning, Dante, you and Hill are on a plane to North Jersey. Valerie, you and I are gonna have a private conversation about what you've done, and where you go from here. Go on, get out." As they began filing out of Jordan's office, Nathan stayed behind to make a case for himself to go along with Dante and Hill in the morning. There was no way they were going without him, not if he had anything to say about it…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once they were facing one another across the living area of the penthouse, Val could feel the fury rolling off of Dante in waves as he looked at her. "Explain yourself," he told her angrily, causing her to be taken aback at first. Responding with her own slowly growing anger, she replied, "Be careful here. I don't have to 'explain myself' to you, not if you're gonna take that tone. You're not my boss, Dante, or my dad. I'm willing to tell you whatever you want to know, but you need to check the attitude, ok?"

"Check the attitude? CHECK THE ATTITUDE? Are you kiddin' me right now? You explain to me how you got the bright idea to do somethin' so foolish as to go near Joey Robbs without back up, without trainin', totally not considerin' the danger or the laws you were breakin' and tell me how, as someone who loves you, I'm not supposed to have an attitude! Can you even comprehend how stupid this was, Val? Do you get how wrong you were for doin' this?"

"I'm not stupid, Dante!"

"I didn't say you were! I said what you did was stupid, and I stand by it! All this talk about goin' undercover, talkin' about Anna Devane got somethin' twisted in your head! You never, NEVER go into a dangerous situation without back up or trainin'! You were takin' on somethin' that wasn't meant for you! You're not a cop yet, Val, ok? And with this stunt, you might have hurt your chances of becomin' one, did you even think of that before you went headlong into this mess?"

"I talked it over with someone before I went ahead with it! And yes, I knew there would be risks involved but I had to know-" "Had to know what? How close you could actually get to dyin' without goin' over? How it felt to do somethin' you weren't even trained to do? Or better yet, how to get one over on the rest of us?" "COULD YOU LET ME FINISH TALKING, PLEASE? This had nothing to do with **you**! This was for **me**! I needed to find out if it was something **I** could do, ok? I didn't want or need you trying to talk me out of it—that's why I didn't tell you about it!"

"You think this is helpin' your case? Huh? I don't care why you did it! It was totally the wrong thing to do, THAT'S the point! You weren't trained, you're not a cop, and the evidence you were able to get might not even be admissible in court because of the way you got it! Not to mention that in light of recent developments, what you did ended up bein' unnecessary!" "Well, I didn't know THAT would happen, did I? I was testing myself, my own limits. I'm not gonna apologize to you for that!"

"Are you gonna apologize for lyin' to me?"

Valerie froze when he threw that out into the air. She shook her head as she asserted, "When did I? I didn't lie to you, Dante! I was very careful about that-" "A lie of omission is still a lie, Val! What was in that package you got from your friend, huh? Didn't I ask you about that? And what did you tell me?"

"I told you the truth, that she had sent me a thong, which she had!" Val still felt a bit guilty about reminding Pippa to send it along with the IDs and she winced as she thought about that, a look Dante caught as he exclaimed, "Uh huh! What else was in the package, Val, huh? That thong wasn't all she sent, was it? And whose idea was it for it to be sent, yours or hers?" The look of guilt gave him his answer and he slowly shook his head as he stared at her. "Incredible. I never would have thought you would be capable of this, Angel."

"Capable of what, Dante? Doing something on my own? Not asking you for permission before I did it? Ok, maybe I should have thought things through more, though I think, based on how much thought I DID put into everything, I probably would have still have done it. What I really wanted was leverage against Joey Robbs. I figured if we could use the fact that he'd obviously handled the guns and had them in his possession, we could use that against him-" "WE? What is this 'we' crap? How many times do I gotta say it—YOU'RE NOT A COP! Even if this was a decent idea on paper, you should have mentioned it to me or Jordan, not just gone ahead with your own operation! Especially without back up or anyone knowin' what you were doin'! I can't say that enough!"

"I wasn't totally alone—I did have a couple of people who knew-"

"Like who?" Again Val winced as she shook her head, not wanting to disclose any more information about who else was involved. "Look, Val, seriously. Now is not the time to be withholding anythin' from me, ok? I mean it. Who else knows about this mess?" With a sigh, Val told him, "I talked it over with Anna before I did it." "No you did not. You couldn't have! Anna used to be a cop—she knows better!" "She tried to talk me out of it, ok, but when she saw that I was determined, she gave me some tips on how to pull it off." "Unbelievable. So you and Anna pull this 'Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl' routine, huh? She's waitin' outside the pool hall for the distress signal so she can run in and save your ass, huh, if you get into trouble?"

"Not even that. All I did was tell her I was going in, and then I went. My girl Pippa and her brother Alex knew, too." Defiantly she put her hands on her hips as she waited for him to respond. "Chop shop Alex? In Philly? What the **hell** did you expect them to be able to do from PHILLY?" Dante clasped his hands to his head in disbelief. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath as he tried to be calm at the idea that she hadn't even had anyone nearby during this debacle. "I'm tryin' really hard here, not to be angry-" "I love you, Dante, but this isn't about you being angry! I did this for myself! I needed to push my limits, to conquer my own fears! I'm sorry you're angry! I'm sorry Jordan's no doubt gonna give me an earful in the morning, too! But this wasn't about you OR her! I was trying to discover something about myself!"

"Well you royally screwed the pooch on this one, Baby!"

"Stop treating me like I'm a moron!" "I'm NOT callin' you a moron, but I'm sorry, what you did WAS moronic. Hear the distinction I'm makin'! WHAT. YOU. DID. WAS. NOT. A. SMART. THING. I don't care how you try to spin it. I don't care why you did it-" "You don't even care why I did it?" Val asked quietly, asking further, "You mean that doesn't even matter to you?" Dante heard the hurt in her voice and he sighed before he softly said, "I'm not discountin' your feelings here. I'm not doin' that. You did what you did. There's no changin' that. You had your reasons for what you did. I get it. But what you did was foolish, Angel. Under any other cop besides Jordan, you might be facin' charges of your own. Carryin' loaded, concealed isn't a small thing in New York. It's a freakin' felony. You might have negatively affected your own future with the department." It was his turn to wince when he saw Val's eyes slowly filling with tears and he walked over to her and gently rubbed her arms as he faced her. "Did you at least find out whatever it was that you were tryin' to find out?" "Yeah," she sniffed, "I did. I don't know if I'd want to do it on the daily, but with some training, I think I'd be good at taking on undercover assignments. Even though I was scared, I was also feeling courageous at the same time. I had a bad moment when he threatened me-" "Threatened you? How?" "It's not a big deal, Dante—he just mentioned that if any trouble found him as a result of him selling me the guns, he'd know where it came from, and he'd take forever to deal with me if he had to." "So you deliberately put yourself on Joey Robbs' radar. Give me strength."

After a moment of silence, Val finally unbent enough to confess, "I realize I shouldn't have handled things the way I did. I have to also admit, though, that I might do it, or something like it, again. With proper training and sanctions next time."

"Well, that's SOMETHING, anyway."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Yeah, I am, Angel. What you did was so dangerous and foolish. When I think of what coulda happened, I want to strangle you myself. And you deliberately misled me about what you were doin'. That's not sittin' real well right now. But I do love you, so I'm not gonna stay mad forever. Give me some time, ok?" She waited a beat and then asked, "How about now? Enough time?" He laughed in spite of himself. "No, not yet. We're fine, ok? I just need some time to process all this. I'm gonna go take a drive, clear my head. Maybe when I get back, we'll talk some more."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	45. Chapter 45

Ch. 45

The music blaring from Ozzy's Boneyard suited Dante's mood down to the ground and he cranked the satellite station up louder as he sped through the streets of Port Charles. He knew he was trying unsuccessfully to drown out his thoughts. What was he attempting to escape, though? It wasn't until he saw the flashing blue and red lights behind him that he realized just how fast he was driving. Pulling his Dodge Challenger over to the side of the road, he sheepishly prepared a defense of sorts while fishing for his license and registration. The young officer who knocked on his window was taken aback when he saw who was behind the wheel of the speeding car, saying, "Oh, Detective Falconeri. I didn't recognize your car. Sorry, sir, but you were driving pretty fast…" "Yeah, I was, and don't apologize for doing your job, Tommy. You're totally within your rights to be pulling me over. I wasn't tracking how fast I was driving but that's no excuse." "Well, I'm not gonna give you a ticket, obviously. You haven't been drinking, by any chance, have you, sir?" "Good question, and no, I haven't been, man. Some work-related stuff was getting to me and I took it out on the streets. I actually appreciate you pulling me over, T—who knows what could have happened if I'd have kept going?" "Ok, thanks for that—for not being pissed off with me about this. Like I said, I'm not gonna give you a ticket. I am gonna ask you to either slow down or go somewhere and stew—maybe give the streets a break tonight." "Good advice, man. I'm gonna do both." "That'll work. Take it easy." "You too, Tommy. Stay safe tonight." Dante ruefully shook his head as he drove away from the traffic stop. He hadn't exactly set the best example for any officer patrolling the streets tonight. Going somewhere to stew was actually a good idea. Making a decision, he pointed his car in the direction of Jake's.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His head was still full of chaos when he walked into the bar and approached Coleman, who was surveilling the floor while wiping down a glass. "Yo, Coleman, set me up with a couple of longnecks, would you?" "Startin' off with two? Rough night, huh?" "Something like that." "You got it, man. Comin' right up." After receiving the beers from Coleman, Dante walked over to a table in the corner of the room and sat with his back facing the wall. He cracked the first beer open and took a long, satisfying swig, sighing a heavy sigh of release once he had swallowed. Closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead, he winced as his mind reviewed the day. He didn't even realize Lulu was standing in front of his table until she called his name twice. "Oh, Lulu, hey," he said when he finally looked up and saw her standing there, "I didn't see you." "I figured that when you walked right past us without saying a word." "My bad. Who is 'us'?" Lulu pointed to a table near the door where Nathan, Maxie and Dillon were sitting. His eyes connected with Nathan's and Nathan raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, silently asking, "Everything ok?" Dante shook his head as if answering, "No, not really," and Nathan shrugged and nodded as he received the message. Maxie noticed the exchange between them and asked, "What's that about?" "Work stuff," she was told. "So you're not gonna tell me?" "No," Nathan said emphatically, "I'm not."

"You want to join us?" asked Lulu. Dante frowned and shook his head again, telling her, "Thanks, no. I'm not really in the head space for company right now. I needed to clear my head and I couldn't do that at the house. Took a ride and ended up getting pulled over for speeding. That's how I ended up here." "Needed to clear your head, huh? I wondered how long it would take…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I see you're on your own for once. I'm surprised Valerie let you out of her sight—she's usually attached like a leech wherever you go."

"C'mon, Lulu, I don't need-"

"No, you're right. In the spirit of our new agreement, I'll bite my tongue! Why isn't she with you, though?"

"I just needed some space, that's all." Laughing slightly, Lulu acknowledged the seemingly faint annoyance behind the words as she replied, "Yeah. A little of my 'cousin' goes a long way, I'll bet. I knew eventually you'd get tired of her and I can admit it's taken much longer than I thought it would. I guess the question now is 'Where do you go from here?'" Dante looked up at her in confused puzzlement and then he asked, "What are you talking about?" "I'm assuming you had to get away from the penthouse to escape Valerie-" Holding up his hand, Dante stopped her before she could say anything else. "Hang on, Lulu. I think you got the wrong end of the stick, here-" "Well, you said you needed some space and you couldn't get that at the penthouse. Who else would you need space from if it wasn't Valerie?"

"I wasn't tryin' to get away from VAL, just my thoughts about her! Your cousin can be the most reckless, heedless, risk-taking woman I've ever met, and after being with YOU, that's sayin' somethin'! She makes me crazy and some of the stuff she does frightens me! Her courage is terrifyin' but I just realized somethin'. She's a Spencer! I didn't think about what that really meant until just now!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You all have this gene, this wild propensity for runnin' headlong into danger without thinkin' about the consequences! At least, most of you do," he went on, mumbling to himself, adding, "maybe not Carly, but she wasn't raised a Spencer. No, now that I think about it, she has it, too-"

"What are you babbling about, Dante?"

"I was just comin' to a realization about somethin', that's all. I was upset with Val because she did somethin' on the job that scared the crap out of me but that's just who she is. She has an absolute ability to take somethin' straight on without fear and once she commits, that's it—game on. No lookin' back! That's one of the things I love about her, actually, but-"

"WHAT?" Dante was halted in the middle of musing aloud by Lulu's sharply asked question and he put his hand to his head as his eyes closed tightly. "I'm sorry, Lulu-"

"YOU LOVE HER? Are you actually saying you love that home wrecking skank? Since when? I thought this was only something temporary, some itch you needed to scratch until you got her out of your system completely! How could you possibly think you're in love with her?"

"'Home wreckin' skank'? What happened to 'you realize you have your life and I have mine'? Yeah, I love her, ok? If you can't be civil when you're talkin' about her to me, then-"

"Civil? CIVIL! I don't have to be civil when I'm talking about the trick who ruined my life!" "So then all that talk at your place was just that-TALK, huh? You're really not interested in us gettin' along at all!"

"I said that because I thought that eventually, you'd come to your senses and realize what you had thrown away! I was taking the high road!"

"Sounds more like you were lyin' again, that's what I'm gettin'. Tellin' me one thing when you meant somethin' totally different. And I don't feel like I threw anything away here! I gave you my reasons for endin' our marriage, and they still stand! I'm sorry if you thought I was just markin' time but that's not what I've been doin' at all—I don't play those kinds of games!"

"You didn't even know who she was this time last year and now you're all in love with her? Give me a break, Dante! I'm starting to think you don't even know what love is!"

"But you're the expert, right? You're gonna school me on what love means? Please, don't bother! You have your own double standard when it comes to love, Lulu, so when it comes to choosin' a definition, I'll take mine over yours any day! I didn't come in here lookin' for a fight but thanks for this, anyway! You helped me make some things real clear in my mind, whether that was your intention or not!" Dante angrily launched himself up from the table and stalked out of Jake's without a backward glance, leaving his second beer untouched. He hated arguing with Lulu, he thought as he drove away, but it had been a good thing, after all. It crystalized some things in his mind and heart, things he needed to share with Val.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Val? Valerie! You here?" he called out after entering the penthouse and shrugging out of his coat. He was hanging it up in the front closet when Val came flying down the stairs and into his arms. "Dante!" she exclaimed in relief as she held him, further saying, "I'm so sorry-" "No, Angel," he affirmed as he peppered her face with kisses, "I'M sorry!" He held her tightly in return, slightly swaying back and forth with her and then he leaned back to look her in the eye. They held one another's gazes before Dante whispered, "I love you." Her eyes began tearing up at that—the sense of comfort she received from his softly uttered words was immense. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek as she explained, "You were so angry with me when you left that I wasn't sure you were coming back." He kissed the tear away and then led her to the couch. Once they had sat down he turned to her and said, "I'm sorry, baby. I really am. I need you to know something, though. Something I didn't even understand at first. It wasn't anger. It was fear. Reaction setting in when I thought of you in a room with Joey Robbs without back up. When I think of what could have happened to you—what he could have done to you… Your courage scares me to death, Angel! You put yourself in that dangerous situation and what if I had lost you because of it? I didn't know anything about it—I wouldn't have been able to help you! The thought of all that-" He broke off and pulled her into his arms, sighing deeply as he tried to let go of the images threatening to overwhelm his mind.

Now that she comprehended his attitude and the anger that followed, Val was able to relax against him as she held onto him. Knowing that his fury had come from fear for her safety had her smiling, even though the situation was far from humorous. "You really do love me," she told him with a kind of incredulous wonder, adding, "I don't know why I didn't even think of that as a possible reason for your outrage. All I know is I'd never seen you like that. I honestly thought it was the end for us." "We're stronger than that, Val, ok? Know that, first of all. The thought of Joey Robbs laying a hand on you, though-"

"But he didn't, Dante. I'm safe. I got out of there intact-"

"Which just makes you lucky, Angel. I mean, this guy tried to have Nathan killed. Killed! You knew that, and you still went ahead with your plan. You definitely have the heart of a lion. Well, of a lioness, I guess!" They laughed together and then he further stated, "Your bravery scares the hell out of me. And you're thinking you want to make a career out of it now. You've had a taste of it and I don't see you backing down or away from it. I have an insane fear of losing you to this job that I'm gonna have to let go of because I don't want to stand in your way." Softly, she kissed his lips and then leaned her head against his in a show of comfort. "I'll do my best to make you comfortable with my decision, Dante. I'll train hard; I'll absorb everything I'm taught. I'm gonna apply myself and make us both proud."

"I'm already proud of you, Val. I wasn't sure I should admit that because I wasn't sure I wanted to encourage you but I think your mind's made up, and you should know the truth. I've always known you've got spine, and you more than proved it with this caper. Part of me wishes I could have seen it, seen you in action. Seriously, how did you face this man across the room knowing who and what he was, without freaking out or blowing your cover?"

"I don't know, JM, I really don't. I do know that what Anna told me played over and over in my head—'believe in the cover, live the cover, don't let him see you sweat.' I can't really describe how I felt in the moment—I was scared and elated at the same time. Even as I was telling myself to be careful, I felt fearless, too. There was a moment when I knew I was gonna be successful, when I actually got him to put his fingerprints on the magazines and I can't describe that feeling to you-"

"Trust me; I know that feeling well. Every time I got away with a lie to the Zaccharas or to Sonny when I was in his organization, I felt what you were feeling. A sense of power and accomplishment unlike any other, right?"

"That's it, exactly. When I left that pool hall with those Scorpions, I had the feeling that I could literally conquer the world! I've never felt that-" she reached for the right word to describe her emotions.

"Alive."

"Yes. YES. I can't remember when I felt that alive before! I knew I could die but I had confidence that I wouldn't, that I would complete my mission."

"Your 'mission'?"

"Yeah. That's how I thought of it, as a mission." He smiled and shook his head at her, saying, "My little warrior. Well, Angel, you've got two new missions now."

"Two?"

"Yeah. In the morning, you're gonna have to face your boss and explain your actions. That's not gonna be an easy one."

"True, true. Not looking forward to it, either. What's the other one?" "The other one," he said as he stood and then reached down and lifted her into his arms, "is making me feel better about how badly you scared me. And that one might take all night, 'cause I was pretty scared." As he carried her up the stairs, she whispered into his ear, "You're right—I owe you a deep, DEEP and profound apology. I don't even know if all night is enough time to show the depths of my—remorse—but I'm dedicated to trying."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He set her feet on the floor when they reached the bedroom and they stood there regarding one another. Continuing to hold his gaze, she leaned forward slowly and touched her lips to his. She kissed him softly once, twice, three times and then as he slightly opened his mouth, she kissed him fully. Her hand moved up from the base of his neck to the back of his head as she gripped his hair to hold him motionless. Her tongue slid toward his and they tangled together, heating their embrace even further. Dante uttered a little groan when Val gently bit his lip before breaking off, feathering light kisses along his cheek, down to his neck. Still clutching his hair, she kissed him there and then abruptly began sucking his skin, tenderly at first, and then adding more pressure. She bit down on the cords of his neck and he gasped her name aloud. "What is it, baby?" she purred into his ear, teasing the lobe with her lips and tongue. "Nothing. Nothing," he muttered back, adding, "Ohh," as she began unbuttoning his shirt and fondling his nipples once she exposed his flesh. Ghosting light kisses along his chest, Val's lips cruised over every inch of skin. Her eyes catching his, she stared at him unwaveringly as she slowly sank to her knees in front of him, his eyes widening as she deliberately smoothed her hands along the sides of his legs—up, up—until she reached his belt buckle. They watched each other while she loosened his belt and unfastened his pants, her movements intentionally measured and slow as she dragged both pants and underwear down in one motion.

His breathing increased once he was naked, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he took in the sight of her kneeling before him. He was fully erect, his mind having anticipated her next move and she didn't disappoint him. She leaned forward and firmly gripped him at his base, taking him into her mouth. "Damn, Angel," he gasped out when she began purposefully suckling him and his head fell back when she moved faster, up and down, her head and her hand acting in concert while she worked him. Moments later, when he felt the climax start, he jerked away from her. He reached down and quickly pulled her to her feet, pushing her back onto the bed. She tried to rise up but he held her down unyieldingly by her arms, raspingly commanding, "No, don't move. Don't you dare."

Val saw the demand and the arousal in Dante's eyes and she immediately chose not to fight him. Once he realized she was going to comply, he released her arms and with some strength, ripped the tank shirt she was wearing from her body. "Hey—I liked that shirt!" she exclaimed softly. "I'll get you another one," he grated before bending down to suckle her breast, nudging the nipple with his tongue. Her back bowed unconsciously and she began panting when he applied more pressure, nipping and sucking her in turns. "I thought this was my apology to you," she had the presence of mind to remind him. "We both screwed up, baby," he told her, "so we've both gotta make it right." He continued licking his way down her torso, alternating between gentle kisses and slight grazes with his teeth. He finally reached his target and he scented her, leaning in to inhale deeply. "God, you smell good—I know you're gonna taste even better," he breathed against her intimate flesh, moaning when he took his first taste. His tongue flickered in and out of her repeatedly and she was no longer able to stay still, ultimately whimpering, "Dante, no, it's too much! Let me up! Oh my God—baby, please!" as she writhed against the sheets in an attempt to escape the sensations threatening to overtake her. "It's MY turn, now. You had yours and this is mine. And you just taste too good for me to stop. A little bit more, baby. Let me have a little bit more, ok?" He reached under her and lifted him to his mouth as he probed even more deeply, causing her to shout, "Dante—I can't take any more! I really can't!" "Then take me instead," he growled, rising over her and pushing his way into her with a grunt. He gripped her hips tightly and rapidly surged in and out of her as he whispered huskily into her ear, "Is this any better? Huh? Is this better, baby?" "YES, DANTE—GOD, YES! Don't-" "Don't what?" "Whisper in my ear like that! Don't!" she loudly groaned. "Why?" he quietly wondered with a faint laugh, "What does it do to you when I do that?" "It makes me—ohh," she was able to utter with a mewling cry before the contractions within her started. She came hard, her body squeezing and milking him as she crashed over the edge, which sent him over the edge behind her. They held each other tightly, sighing and breathing heavily as the orgasmic pleasure washed over them. Dante eventually rolled over onto his back, pulling Val with him and hugging her to his chest. For the next few minutes, they concentrated solely on dragging air into their overtaxed lungs while they continued to shiver and jerk as they were rocked by aftershocks. Arching her neck, Val placed her lips against Dante's jaw and on a deep exhale asked him, "Is the fear gone, do you think?" "Not totally, no," he wheezed back. "Well, I love you and I can't have you going around being afraid for me on the job. Just give me a minute." "A minute for what?" "To banish the fear. We're not leaving here until I know you're fully convinced that I'll be all right, that I can take care of myself." "I don't know, Angel. That might actually take longer than one night to do." "That's ok, Just Mine. For you, I've got time-I don't care if it takes forever."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	46. Chapter 46

Ch. 46

Valerie was just putting her belongings into her desk drawer when Randy approached her with a sympathetic wince, saying, "Hey, Val, good morning." "Good morning, Randy. What's with the face?" "Boss told me to tell you when I saw you not to settle in but to come to her office as soon as you got here." "Thanks, Randy. Could you tell what kind of mood she was in?" He paused as if to soften the blow and then told her, "I'd say she might have cooled off but not by much. Good luck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Facing Jordan across the desk, Val tried a friendly smile which wasn't returned. When Jordan continued to stare at her, she decided to open the discussion herself. "Before you say anything, let me apolo-" "Stop. Talking," snapped Jordan. Val's eyes widened and her heartbeat accelerated. Jordan didn't just appear to be pissed—she seemed livid. After a few more moments of uncomfortable staring, Jordan finally began speaking, saying, "Your actions of the last few days have been foolhardy. They were not sanctioned by this department, nor endorsed by me personally. To say I'm disappointed in your conduct would be understating my feelings-" "I know-" "Stop. Talking. You say you want to be a police officer, go to the academy. Good, solid officers are always needed and welcomed. Hot-headed fools who follow their own directives because they have something to prove are not."

"Jordan-"

"Commissioner Ashford."

"What?"

"I'm not Jordan right now, I'm Commissioner Ashford. And that might be part of the issue. Because you work for me so your actions, good and bad, reflect on me. You obviously didn't take that into consideration, though, did you? And that's most likely my fault. Because all night long, in between being furious with you and grateful that you emerged from your foolhardiness unscathed, I had to wonder, 'Did she trade on our friendship? Did she think no repercussions would come because of our friendship? Would she have attempted this if anyone else besides me was her boss?'"

"Jord—Commissioner Ashford, I wouldn't do that. I didn't do that, please believe me! I **wasn't** thinking of how what I did would reflect on you. I should have considered your position in all this. All I thought about were my own goals. I can only apologize to you as your subordinate and your friend. Dante already gave me an earful-" Holding up a hand to stop her, Jordan stated, "I'm not interested in that. This is what's going to happen. I'm going to do my best to squash this. Somehow, I'm going to try to discretely get these weapons back to their rightful owner, hopefully with no questions asked."

"Thank you-"

"Don't thank me. I'm not through yet. I need you to think long and hard about what it means to be a team player. The seriousness of what it means to be a cadet who plays by the rules. You're going to have a week off without pay to think about all that. Once that passes, you come back and tell me whether or not you think you can work here under MY authority, by MY rules. By rights, I should be firing your behind but we'll see how things go after you return to duty." Valerie was stunned. She had expected a hard slap on the wrist but this felt like more than that to her. She searched the Commissioner's face for some trace of her friend and couldn't find one. Haltingly she asked, "What does this mean?" "You didn't understand my directives?" "No, I mean for us. What does this mean for us?" "I don't know, honestly. I guess we'll have to wait and see on that, too. Any other questions?" "No, not really." "Then we're done here," Jordan said, purposely turning her attention to her computer screen.

Feeling thoroughly dismissed, Valerie quietly made her way from Jordan's office to her desk to collect her purse. From his desk, Dante noticed the somewhat shell-shocked look on Val's face and he got up and approached her, telling her, "We're on our way to the airport in a little while but I was hoping to catch you before we left. How'd things go with Jordan?"

"You mean Commissioner Ashford? About as well as could be expected, I guess. Maybe better than I deserve…" Dante was surprised when he saw her eyes beginning to well with tears and he pulled her into the interrogation room away from the interested gazes of those in the squad room. "What happened?" With a hitch in her voice, Val explained, "I got a week off without pay and she said she should have fired me. I think she hates me now, Dante. I think I've lost her friendship." The tears began to roll down her cheeks and she brushed them away almost angrily, frustrated that she couldn't control her emotions.

"She doesn't hate you, Angel-"

"You didn't see or hear her, Dante. She was cold, I mean like ice to me. I screwed up, big-time. I'm not sure she's gonna forgive me."

"Ok, it's a setback. It's only a setback. We'll let the week pass and then we'll see, ok? I know it'll be hard but try not to let it stress you out too much." He drew her into a comforting hug and sighed before he kissed the side of her neck. Delivering two more soft kisses to her forehead and lips, he murmured, "I've gotta go. Don't stew about this, Sweetheart. Find something fun and distracting to do and we'll talk more when I get back, ok? I love you. And don't worry—it's gonna work out."

"Do I look like I've been crying?"

"A little bit but so what? You're entitled."

"I just don't want to look like a wuss in front of everyone."

"You wanna go to your car? I can bring your stuff out to you."

"No. You're sweet to offer but I'm walking out of here with my head held high. I'll be fine. You guys have a safe flight, ok? I hope whatever's waiting in Jersey is worth it." They walked from the interrogation room to her desk and he stood there while she collected her belongings. He would have walked her out to her car but she stopped him, telling him, "You've got your own stuff to take care of, Just Mine. I'll be ok. Like you said, I've got spine, right?"

"That you do, baby. Like steel." "I'll see you at home." He watched her walk out of the precinct and get into her car. Giving her a reassuring smile and a wave, he stood there until she drove away. Out of her sight, his smile fell and with a look of determination, Dante made his way down the hall to Jordan's office.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Commish, got a minute?" Dante asked as he poked his head around Jordan's door. "Falconeri, yeah. Come in. Shouldn't you be at the airport by now?" "We have a bit more time until our flight leaves. I wanted to talk to you before we took off." "About the case?" "No, about Valerie-"

"Not a good idea, Dante."

"It sounds like you came down pretty hard on her-"

"Not your business, Detective. Not discussing it with you."

"Fine, then. We won't discuss it. Just hear me out, please. Valerie admires the hell out of you. She'd never admit it but women like you and Anna Devane are her role models. She aspires to have your strength and courage. She values your friendship and it would crush her to lose that. I know what she did was foolish and I think she knows it too, now. Don't kick her to the curb, Commish—that's all I'm asking. Thanks for your time. We'll give you a call when we're on our way back with the evidence." "Do that." As he was leaving she halted him with, "And Dante? I heard what you said. I'll take it under advisement." He nodded and decided not to press his luck further, gently closing the door behind him and walking to the squad room where Randy and Nathan were waiting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once they had settled in after boarding the plane, the guys began talking about the fallout from Valerie's "mission". Randy wondered, "What exactly did the Commish say, Falconeri? Val looked pretty messed up when she left the shop." "She was, man. Jordan doesn't play and she was obviously pissed about the whole thing. She ended up giving Val a week off without pay and it seems she had some harsh words for her, too. Val's worried that she may have lost Jordan's friendship. I told her it would work out, which I hope it does but Jordan can be like stone sometimes. We'll just have to see how things go." "Ok, Dante," Nathan opined, "you know I like Val but in this instance, I don't blame the Commissioner. You guys know what happened to me when I went off half-cocked and I didn't even realize I was practically walking into a trap. Val knew what she was getting into and she did it anyway. She's very lucky things worked out for her; otherwise, this could have meant all kinds of problems for the department and for Jordan herself, since she's Val's boss."

"I get that, Nathan, and Val gets it too. I was kind of pissed at her myself, for a while. The funny thing, though, is most of the time, initiative is welcomed, even desired, in new cadets. We want men and women who can think for themselves and think creatively, as well. What she did was crazy but you've gotta admit, it took guts. The fact that she was able to pull it off earns my admiration."

"No kidding it took guts," countered Nathan, "the hardcore kind. If she gets the chance, she's going to make a good officer. I still can't believe she willingly sat in a room across from Joey Robbs without back up. What was she thinking, I wonder?"

"She was on a mission," Dante explained, adding, "That's actually how she approached it, as some kind of mission. She had a goal, she kept it in the front of her mind, and she focused on it. She had to find out if she had the stones to go undercover successfully. I blame Anna for this, personally."

"Anna? Anna Devane? What does she have to do with anything?" "A few weeks back, she, Jordan, Val and a couple other detectives got together for some kind of gab fest or something. I guess Anna spent part of the day telling everyone about her life as a spy and got Val all jazzed up about being an undercover operative. Ever since she talked to Anna, her goal shifted from being an admin to becoming a cop with hopes of going undercover someday. She wasn't thinking about the consequences of what she was doing—she just bulldozed ahead."

"At least it doesn't sound like Jordan's written her off, Falconeri. That's a plus in her favor," Randy mentioned. "That's true, Randy—at least there's that. And as long as she can keep what Val did out of her jacket, everything should work out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the Greenville Precinct in South Jersey, the guys were reacquainted with the officers they had met on their first trip to interrogate Scribbs. Pointing in Nathan's direction, Dante mentioned, "This is actually the detective Joey Robbs was ordering the hit on." "Yeah, we recognized you from the photo Robbs showed Garafalo. It's good to see you on your feet, Detective. You were lucky."

"Thanks, man. And don't I know it!"

"No, you don't understand. There're actually two recordings between Robbs and Garafalo. The first one ordering the hit and the second one demanding he finish what he started. They had a pretty colorful argument about final payment and Robbs was pissed because the job was botched. Check this out," Officer Reynolds finished before cueing up the aforementioned conversation. The guys were silent as they listened to Robbs spouting invectives, noting the venom in his voice whenever he said Nathan's name. When they saw and heard Robbs admit to hiring Garafalo to end West's life, Dante smiled a broad smile, realizing that this was indeed the "goods" that would help them build a solid case against Joe Scartone and finally send him to prison for what he hoped would be a long stretch. To those in the room he said, "This is it, guys. This is money, in my opinion. Of course we'll have to see what my uncle thinks, but this nails it shut for me, anyway."

"Your uncle?"

"Yeah. Ric Lansing, our DA, is also my uncle. I think we have something solid here but the decision to go forward will rest with him." Laughing, Officer Reynolds said in admiration, "You're a pretty connected guy, aren't you? An uncle for DA and Sonny Corinthos for a father! I'm surprised all your cases don't go in your favor!"

"It's not like that at all, man. I don't trade on family connections when I do my job. And how did you find out about Sonny being my father, anyway?" "Grapevine works, even out here in 'the bowels of Jersey' as you so colorfully referred to it last time you were here. We wanted to make sure you weren't in any Mob pockets before we handed over this evidence so we did some checking around. With the exception of a couple of smudges, you seem to be straight." Dante and Reynolds made eye contact for a few seconds and then Dante said, "Thanks for that, I guess. What are we doing from here?"

"We've got a couple of signed affidavits stating that these tapes are the originals and haven't been tampered with by our department. If you guys will sign these papers saying our department has released this evidence into your custody, our requirements will be met and you can take this stuff back to your own house." After Dante, Randy and Nathan signed the paperwork and received copies, the Greenville officers handed Nathan the tapes, noting, "If anyone ought to be carrying these, it should be you, right?" "Right," Nathan answered, adding, "Thanks for your hard work here, guys. We all really appreciate it but no one more than me." "You're welcome. We're just glad it went down this way." Hands were shaken all around and then the three made their way back to Teterboro Airport.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nathan was pensive on the plane ride back to Port Charles, a fact noticed by both Dante and Randy. Into the silence, Randy finally asked Nathan, "You ok, West? I don't think you've said a word since we left Greenville's shop." With a fleeting smile Nathan explained, "I'm fine. It was weird, though, actually hearing someone ordering my death and being pissed that it didn't happen. Every day we face people who are angry with our interference in their lives—getting cursed out is part of the job. But Robbs wanted me dead. That's crazy to me. I was just doing my job and he wanted to end my life for it. HE'S the criminal but I was the enemy who was doing wrong and needed to be stopped. I'm trying to wrap my head around that. And somewhere in the back of my mind I have to wonder why Garafalo didn't finish me off in that alley. From what I could tell, he didn't usually leave his tasks incomplete." Turning to him Dante responded, "He didn't finish because it wasn't your time to go, end of. I'm just glad he didn't get the chance. I've been thinking about it a lot and I think the tall, skinny guy you thought you saw was someone who interrupted Garafalo before he COULD finish you off. Whoever that guy was, he might have saved your life." "If that's the case then I'm grateful to him. I'll just be satisfied to see Joey Robbs behind bars. If getting stabbed led directly to making that happen, I guess I'll take it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Following Jordan's instructions, they went directly from the airport to Jordan's office where she and Ric Lansing were waiting to see and hear the tapes for themselves. She had called Ric earlier in the day to explain about the possibility of evidence existing that might finally convict Joey Robbs and he insisted on being present when it arrived.

When Nathan placed the envelope with the two tapes in it on Jordan's desk, Jordan gave a look to Lansing, who nodded in return, and she broke the seal, peeking inside. Frowning, she slid the tapes on her desk and asked, "This is it? Seriously?" "Yeah, Boss, but you'll have to actually see what we have here before you make a judgement. In my opinion, this is the dynamite we needed to blow that fat scumbag out of business and into a cell for a long, long time. You be the judge, though," Dante said. Nathan's discomfort was obvious as he once again heard Joey Robbs ordering his death and he was unknowingly shaking his head as he listened. Ric was having an opposite reaction, though, as he smiled and nodded throughout the recordings. After they had finished viewing the evidence, they all turned expectantly to him and he didn't disappoint them, saying, "Yeah, I like it. I like it a lot. Go get him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the way to the Lucky Roll pool hall, Dante called Val on her cell phone and told her, "It's happening, Angel. Ric liked what we brought back and we're on our way to get Robbs now." "Awesome. I want to be there-" "Don't even think about showing up down there, Val! You do and you're done with Jordan, for sure!" "I'm not going to, Dante, ok? I'm only saying I wish I could be in on this." "When we make a collar like this, everyone involved shares in it. You did your bit, ok? There'll be other collars in your future, Val, so don't sweat having to sit this one out. Only then you'll be a fully-fledged police officer with the right to be involved. Just hang tight and I'll finish filling you in when I get home." "Will do. Be careful, Dante—all of you, be careful. I'm pretty sure he'll be armed." "We're not anticipating any trouble but we're armored up just in case."

While Randy, Nathan and a few other officers went in through the front door, Dante took another crew around the back to effectively corner Robbs and prevent his escape. Dizzy was the first one to jump up when he saw the pool hall filling with strangers, an action quickly quashed by Nathan flashing his badge at him. "Where's Joey Robbs?" Nathan demanded.

"Who?" Dizzy thought to stall them a bit and give Joey time to escape through the rear. At the question, Nathan looked at his fellow officers with a smirk and mused aloud, "This fool thinks we're here to play games. Do we look like we've got time for games? We're gonna get him but we might end up grabbing you, too, if you're not careful. Where is he?" "Not sure who you talkin' 'bout, man." Lifting his voice, Nathan intoned, "We're looking for Joey Robbs. We're not leaving here until we either get him or a line on his whereabouts. Cooperation is better but we're not averse to doing things the hard way. You seem to have a big mouth so I guess we'll start with you and take you in for questioning. Let's go." Gesturing to a couple of officers, Nathan motioned them forward to handcuff Dizzy. Dizzy held up his hands and backed up slightly, seeming to make a decision. Nodding his head in the direction of Robbs' office, Dizzy silently told them what they wanted to know.

Joey heard the commotion coming from outside his office and he turned his attention to the camera monitor as he soundlessly watched Nathan and his fellow officers entering his pool hall. Uttering a curse, he jumped up from behind his desk and ran to his safe where he kept an emergency stash of cash. He shoved the money into a gym bag he kept nearby for this eventuality and then he reached into his desk for his Glock. Furtively, he crept to the back door, breathing a sigh of relief when he opened the door and stepped out into the sunlight, a sigh that immediately turned to alarm when he saw Dante and the other officers waiting for him with guns drawn.

"JOEY ROBBS! DROP THE BAG AND GET ON THE GROUND, PUTTING YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD! DO IT NOW!" Joey hesitated and Dante told him, "Man, I'll take you out right here, save the taxpayers some money. GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!" Realizing there was no way to escape, Joey Robbs reluctantly and angrily dropped to his knees, putting his hands behind his head. Keeping his weapon trained on him, Dante nodded to Nathan, who with the others had made his way up the hall and through the back door. Moving forward, Nathan said, "Joseph Anthony Scartone, you're under arrest for, among other things, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder." He placed the cuffs on Robbs, who was sputtering, "You got nothin' on me! Ain't no way this's gonna stick—I'll be out before dinner time!" Shaking his head, Nathan went on, "You have the right to remain silent, which you might want to use right now. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." Jerking Robbs to his feet, Nathan shocked his fellow officers by ending with, "Do you understand the rights I have just read to you, you murdering bastard?" As they stood face to face, Joey sneered, "I shoulda finished you myself; that's where I went wrong." "That was only the beginning of your mistakes. I guess you 'shoulda', huh? Get him out of here," he said, pushing Joey toward his brothers.

"You all right, man?" Dante wanted to know. "Yeah, I'm cool. Thanks for the collar—felt good to be the one to cuff him." "You earned it, all the way around. Let's go finish this up."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

From her vantage point outside the cordoned off area where the police action was taking place, Val watched as Joey Robbs was led away and unceremoniously stuffed into the back of a cruiser. She knew she promised Dante she'd stay away but she wanted to see the bust happen for herself. Somehow, in spite of the way things had gone down, she was proud of the PCPD and her association with them. It had taken years but dogged, solid police work had finally paid off. Smiling to herself, she turned to walk away when a voice stopped her with, "Hey, Honey, issat you?" Her heart jumping into her throat, she pivoted slowly around, saying, "I'm sorry, did you say something?" Dizzy frowned at her for a moment and then his face cleared as he replied, "Naw, I'm sorry, lady. I thought you was someone else for a minute. Now I see it, she was a little bit bigger'n you, though." Being ever thankful for the idea to wear layers on her mission, she told Dizzy straightforwardly, "I don't believe we've ever met." "My bad," he said. "No problem. Have a good day," she told him and then walked over to her car on slightly shaky legs, breathing slowly as she went. "Well, yep—this was definitely one secret she was taking to the grave with her," she thought ruefully, starting the car with a sense of relief.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	47. Chapter 47

Ch. 47

"Let me get a Scotch, neat. You know what? Make that a double." The bartender behind the bar at the Metro Court gave Val a fleeting look of surprise at the order. She raised her eyebrows at him in response and he moved to serve her the drink. "Hold on a minute, Derek," Carly said as she approached her cousin from behind. Giving his boss a nod, Derek walked down to the other end of the bar to give them some privacy. Val turned to face Carly, who noted her cousin's irritated expression. Smiling, Carly told her, "It's not that you're underage and it's not too early in the day for it—I'm just wondering what's going on that you need something so strong." "Hey, Carly. So you're back from the honeymoon, huh? How was it?" "Awesome. Wonderful. Everything I hoped it would be and more. And you're evading my question. What's up, little Cousin?"

"If I tell you, can I still get my drink?" "Of course." Carly gestured to Derek and he returned to complete Val's drink order. After pouring two fingers' worth into a glass, he put the glass on a napkin and placed it in front of her. Raising the glass slightly, Val tilted it in Derek's direction, saying, "Thank you, Derek." Mouthing, "You're welcome," Derek smiled and winked at her and then went to the other side of the bar to serve another patron.

Val felt her nerves settle as the drink slid down her throat once she had taken a sip. Blowing out a breath, she murmured, "I'm not sure I should tell you." "If it's a question of trust-" "No, that's not it. It's something work-related, kind of. If I tell you, I'll have to swear you to absolute secrecy." "That's not a problem. Let's move to someplace more private, though." Val carried her Scotch back to Carly's office and sat down across Carly's desk with a plop. Laughing at her actions, Carly observed, "By the way you're behaving, I'm thinking this is gonna be quite a story. Can't wait to hear it." "You don't know the half of it. I've been busy since you've been gone." Val took another hefty swallow and then set the glass down on the desk. Taking a deep breath, she began telling her cousin about the events of the previous few weeks. As she listened, Carly's expressions changed from interest to surprise, shock to mild horror. Val finally ended her tale with the witnessing of Joey Robbs' arrest and her encounter with Dizzy, finishing, "And I thought he recognized me for a minute but I guess my disguise was better than I thought. My nerves were shot, though, so I came here to get a drink and to calm down."

Leaning forward, Carly's gaze was flat when she responded, "I can't believe you did any of this—the 'undercover mission', using fake IDs and disguises, deliberately going into a room with a suspected attempted killer—none of it. You got lucky with Jordan, too. I'm really kind of surprised she DIDN'T fire you." "Thanks a lot! You think she should have fired me?" "Honestly speaking, the only reason I'm saying 'no' is because you're my cousin. If you were anyone else, though-" "FINE. I get it, I do. I messed up, badly. I've gotten an earful from my man and my boss suspended me for a week. Now my cousin is looking at me like I've lost my mind. What's next? At least you didn't yell at me, too."

"Not my place to yell at you. I told you, I'm no stranger to doing crazy things. We always have our reasons, though, don't we? You're all right and it sounds like you learned your lesson—that's enough for me. You've got guts, little Cousin, I'll say that for you. You handled yourself just like a Spencer." "Yeah, I guess I did. Thanks for the complement, Carly. Considering what everyone else has been saying to me, it means a lot." "So since you've got a week off work, it sounds like you have some time on your hands…" "A bit, yeah. Why?" "Sonny and I are thinking of having Thanksgiving dinner this year at the Metro. We have plenty of room here and it'll be mostly family. You and Dante ought to plan to come." "I'll check with him but I'm sure we'll be able to make it happen. Mostly family, though? Is that including Lulu?" With a rueful chuckle, Carly answered, "Nooo. She's planning to spend the holiday out at Spoon Island, especially since Laura's in town. From what she told me, she's keeping Rocco for this holiday, Dante will have him for New Year's, and they'll split his time for Christmas. Or something like that. So there shouldn't be any problems with you guys coming out."

"It sounds like fun."

"It will be. Mike and Sonny plan to take care of the meats but the rest of us will handle the side dishes. Add the 'homey' touch."

"Anything in particular I should bring?"

"Something that reminds you of Thanksgiving; something you want to share with the rest of your family." Mentally reviewing past holidays with her mother, Val smiled and said, "I do have something in mind, come to think of it. I'll have to see if I can find the recipe."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Dante entered the master bedroom of the penthouse later on in the evening, he found Val surrounded by boxes with a frustrated look on her face. He made his way through the maze of boxes to her side, squatting down to give her a kiss. "What's all this?" he asked. "We've been invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the Metro Court with the family. Carly wants everyone to bring a personal dish to give the holiday more meaning. This is my mom's stuff that I brought with me. Somewhere in all this should be a box of recipes but I can't seem to find it. It's gotta be here, though." "Two sets of eyes are better than one. Tell me what I'm looking for." "It's just a box with little yellow flowers all over it. It's her recipe box. I couldn't have left it behind!" "Hang on—if it's here, we'll find it." He sat down on the floor by a couple of boxes and began opening them to search the contents. While they were looking, Val asked, "So how did things go? Since you're home already, I'm assuming everything went off like clockwork?"

"It was a thing of beauty, for sure. You should have seen the look on Robbs' face when he came out into the alley behind the pool hall and saw all these cops standing there with guns. Priceless. I didn't get the chance to plant his fat face into the concrete the way I wanted to but seeing him drop to his knees knowing he was done was the next best thing."

"So what'd he have to say when you slapped the cuffs on him?"

"I didn't actually do it—I let Nathan have that honor. It was the usual bluster—'You'll never make it stick', 'I'll be out before you can blink,' etc. Once we got him and his lawyer in the interrogation room and Ric played the tapes, he shut up real quick. Idiot. I got this seriously perverse pleasure out of standing there staring him down. You could see his wheels turning while he tried to think his way out of everything he was facing. It was almost comical. I don't know what he hated most, my blank stare or Ric's smirk. Pretty sure he wished he could've killed us all. I felt bad for Nathan, though. It's kind of disturbing to hear someone ordering your death. Reminded me of when I was working for Sonny and got that last assignment, the one that let me know I was made and they knew I was a cop. You get this weird kind of tingle; every hair on your body is standing up. You know you're staring at someone who wants you to die and you still have to play it off like you're not affected. It does affect you, though. Nathan's probably gonna have a few bad nights ahead of him."

"You guys didn't debrief after everything was finalized?"

"We did but there's only so much you can say. He'll handle it. It's just gonna take a while to process." He fell silent and began to concentrate on the task of sifting through every piece of paper in the box. They worked in companionable silence for a while before Val eventually inquired, "So what kind of deal did he end up getting?"

"I have no idea. Once they got to that part, I left." "You left? Why? I'd have thought you'd have wanted to be in on that especially." With a reflective smile, Dante responded, "Not really. You might as well learn this lesson now, Angel. There are gonna be days when you find what we do extremely satisfying. We pound the pavement, question suspects and witnesses, put together a scenario of plausible explanations for the reason a crime was committed, and work the case. Sometimes we get lucky and our hard work results in catching the criminals responsible. And then we hand the case over to the DA and the court system. That's where, if you have any sense, you learn to step away. The lawyers get together and start haggling about justice and what's acceptable to the justice system to make that person pay for their crime. And more often than not, they end up getting less than they deserve. They make some kind of deal, give someone else up for a lighter sentence or even to escape sentencing altogether. Makes you sick after all that hard work you put in, but there's nothing you can do. So no, I didn't want to hear what deals were being offered to that scumbag. In a perfect world, he'd just cop to what he did and take what he's got coming. I don't see him doing that, though. If there's a trial, I'll show up. I'll testify on behalf of the state. I'll do whatever I can to see to it that he does hard time. At the end of the day, though, it's not up to me or anyone else in the department. Sometimes that's a bitter pill to swallow." Pausing in the middle of her search, Val replied, "You almost make it sound futile, Just Mine." "Don't get that impression—that's not what I'm saying at all. There are many days when you'll go home knowing you made a difference to the world around you and that's very gratifying. I'm just telling you there's a flipside, a frustrating flipside, to what we do. And I didn't want to deal with that today. We did good work on this case. For today, that's all I wanted to focus on."

With a heavy sigh of disgust, Val shoved the box she was searching away from her. Her annoyance was mounting along with a fear that she might have lost her mother's recipes or somehow misplaced them for good. Dante cast an indulgent gaze in her direction. "How long have you been looking, baby? Are you sure you remember packing them up?" "I feel like I've been looking all afternoon but I know I haven't been. Honestly, I can't remember whether I packed her recipes or not. It was such a chaotic time…" He nodded as they both thought back to the days following Patricia's death. "We'll keep hunting—if they're here, we'll find them. Be patient." Dante picked up a plastic Ziploc bag and the word "flour" caught his eye. He unzipped the bag and rifled through it before telling her, "I may have found something but it's not a yellow box. It does look like there are recipes in here, though." Val jumped up from the floor and dashed to his side to see for herself. She sighed in relief when she recognized her mother's handwriting and she gave him a tight hug, exclaiming, "I can't believe you found them! Thank you so much for your eagle eye. I don't really understand why they're in plastic and not the yellow box but I don't care. Help me look."

"What exactly am I looking for now?"

"It's a recipe for a cranberry-apple chicken salad. We had it every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. Carly said the dish we bring should be special to us. NOBODY made this salad the way my mom did! Even with the recipe I probably won't be able to duplicate the taste. It'll still be like she's with me, though."

"Angel, even without the salad she's with you, ok? She gave him a grateful smile as she answered, "I know. But this is my first Thanksgiving without her and my first with my family. And with you, I hope. Were you planning to stay in town with your mother or go back to Bensonhurst?" "Whoa. I didn't even realize how close we were to the holiday. I'm getting the feeling, after our last conversation that I'm on my Ma's 'list'. We haven't really talked much lately." "Oh, Dante-" "Hey, don't even go there, ok? You didn't do anything to cause this, before you start apologizing. My Ma's a grown woman. If she wants to be pissed off at me because she doesn't like my choices, that's her right. I'm still gonna do what I want to, whether she approves or not."

"I don't want you to miss Thanksgiving with your family, though."

"According to you, I'm not gonna. Didn't Carly invite me, too?"

"Yes, but—"

"All right, then. Looks like it's gonna be a Corinthos-Falconeri Thanksgiving. Plus Mike is still in town. Lulu has Rocco this time around. You and I are gonna spend time with OUR family. I do want you to be prepared, though…"

"For what?"

"I told you—you haven't experienced Christmas until you've been part of a Natale celebration. I'm hoping you'll go back with me in December; meet my Nonno, my Nonna and my eight billion cousins." Val's eyes widened and her lips pursed in surprise. "Are you telling me that you want me to meet your family? Seriously?"

"Yeah—why not?"

"Do they even know what happened-"

"They know. The town crier, otherwise known as Olivia Falconeri, made sure of it. Surprisingly, my Nonno is more upset with me than my Nonna is. I want them to see that I'm happy with my decision. I know they're concerned. They need to meet you and see that even though things went down the way they did, I didn't make a mistake when I chose to let Lulu go."

"You actually think it's a good idea for your family to meet the rebound girl?" For the first time since he brought up his family he gave her his full attention. "I'm not sure I appreciate you sayin' that." "I wasn't trying to be offensive, Dante. I only meant-" "I know what you meant but we're a world away from where we started, aren't we? At least I thought we were." "We are. Hmm. Ok, frankly speaking, the idea of a bunch of angry faces staring at me over the dinner table isn't my idea of the perfect Christmas celebration. I'm thinking I might want to avoid that."

"It's not gonna be like that. I won't let it be. I need to talk to my grandparents and help them understand my side of things. I need them to know I'm at peace with what I've done. If they see that, their hearts will be at peace, too. I want that for them. It's important to me, Angel." "Ok, let's do this. Christmas is a ways away. Give me time to settle the frogs and butterflies in my throat and stomach. I'm not saying 'no'. I'm saying let's change the subject for now."

"Fair enough." They continued searching through the bags and a few minutes later, Val let out a yelp of joy. "I found it! Oh, thank God! I really didn't think it was here!" She gave the index card a loud smacking kiss while grinning a grin of pure happiness. "This might be the best way for you to get to know my mom, Dante—through her recipes. Of course I'm biased but no one, in my opinion, could cook the way my mom could! My friends always wanted to eat at my house and my mom loved that. I'm so glad I found this!" Val paused when she realized he didn't seem to be paying attention to what she was saying. She cleared her throat loudly twice before he finally looked up at her, asking, "Did you say something?" "I was saying a lot. What are you looking at that's got you so fascinated?"

"I'm not sure. Letters. Personal letters. And then there's this-" he said and then handed her a picture, questioning, "This guy—you ever seen him before?" Val took a long look at the man in the picture. He was a good-looking African-American man with striking features, seemingly tall with long dreadlocked hair. She laughed and said, "You really found this in with the recipes? I don't recognize him but he's fine, that's for sure. Go ahead, Mom!" She turned the picture over and read the name "Virgil" on the other side. "I don't know who 'Virgil' is—I don't think he's a family friend. He looks kind of young here, though. I wonder who he is?" Dante hesitated before handing her the other picture in his hand. He told her, "This one might help more." She gazed at the picture of her mother laughing happily with Virgil standing next to her with his arm around her, mugging for the camera. She turned the picture over and murmured aloud, "'Prince Valiant and me at Pep's.' No, he's not familiar to me at all. I'm pretty sure I've met most, if not all, of my mom's friends." She continued frowning down at the picture in silence, prompting Dante to posit, "Ok, I'm just gonna throw this out there. These letters are VERY personal. That picture I just gave you called the guy 'Prince Valiant'. _**Val**_ **iant** , Val. Any chance that he could be your father?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	48. Chapter 48

Ch. 48

There was a sign outside the doors of the Metro Court ballroom that read, "Closed for Private Party". Carly and the staff at the hotel had done their best to make the Thanksgiving holiday a festive one for those who would be attending the family celebration. The ballroom itself was decorated in fall colors of reds, oranges, russet browns and deep golds. The centerpieces on each table consisted of sunflowers, roses, chrysanthemums, lilies, and daisies in varying orange and red hues with scented tapered candles. The smells of cinnamon, apple and cloves filled the air, lending the ballroom an intimate feeling of "home".

Most of those who were invited to attend were already milling around the room when Val and Dante arrived at the hotel. They were greeted by Carly herself, who upon seeing them remarked, "Wow—don't you two look good! Whether or not you planned it, you both fit in with my color scheme perfectly. Come on through." Choosing to dress in keeping with the season, Val was wearing a pumpkin colored suede jacket and a tightly woven plaid skirt with shades of deep rust, yellow, orange and purple. With much persuading, she was able to convince Dante to wear a pair of burnt orange jeans with a black button down dress shirt by assuring him that he only had to wear them for the day. He had never worn such a shade in his life and he had chuckled to himself as he got dressed for the party that because of Val's influence, he was trying all kinds of things he hadn't done before. The bright smile she gave him when she saw him for the first time that afternoon after he had gotten dressed was worth it, though. He had to admit, though only to himself, that they did look good together…

While Dante went to greet his brothers and their guests, Val went to the kitchen to drop off her cranberry-apple chicken salad dish. She entered the room where she was greeted by Sonny and Mike, who were both decked out in aprons as they put the finishing touches on the meats they were preparing for the dinner. Mike gave Val a huge smile when he saw her and after taking the dish from her and placing it into one of the large refrigerators in the kitchen, he reached out to give her an accompanying hug, which she happily returned. "Hey, Val! It's good to see you—Happy Thanksgiving!" he said, adding, "Welcome to the madhouse!" She touched Sonny's shoulder in acknowledgement of his "head toss" greeting and responded, "Madhouse? You two seem to have everything under control, as usual. It smells divine in here! I know how you guys work so I made sure to bring my appetite with me!" "Good thing," Sonny answered, beaming back at her, "'cause we're definitely gonna feast today!" After a few more moments of small talk about the dinner and her own contribution to the meal, Val made her way out to the ballroom to mingle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Various conversations were taking place while the final touches were being put on the main banquet table. Overheard:

Morgan and Kiki—"I can't believe you still haven't told your family that we're not together anymore, Morgan! I don't want them getting the wrong idea-" "You can't chill for one day, Kiki? I'm gonna tell them later, ok?"

Michael and Sabrina—"It might not seem like the right setting or time but trust me, my parents are gonna be thrilled when they hear our news! Don't worry so much." "You HOPE they'll be thrilled but I'm not sure, Michael. Maybe we should wait until we can get them on their own…"

Ric and Jordan—"DA Lansing." "Commissioner Ashford." "Did you lose something?" "Oh, my watch. Thanks. I wondered where I'd left it." "I found it on the sink in my bathroom." "Well you know what they say—when you leave something behind, it means you want to go back again. Maybe tonight?" "Looking forward to it…"

Bobbie and Lucas—"Isn't Brad coming, honey?" "He should be here a bit later. He couldn't find anyone to switch shifts with him so he got stuck in the lab. They're shutting down early, though…"

TJ and Molly—"At least it looks like our parents are getting along, TJ! I didn't think they'd have anything to talk about." "I was surprised, too, but they've been talking for a while over there. I hope they're not talking about us, though…"

Dante, Val and Kristina—"This is my little sister, Kristina. Kristina, this is Val Spencer." "It's nice to meet you, Kristina—I've heard a lot about you. Last year at Yale, right? Good for you!" "Umm, yeah, I'm in my last year, I hope… It's good to meet you too, Valerie. I've heard a lot about you, too, from my brothers. I think Michael is especially impressed with you!" "That's only because I fed him food from one of his favorite pizza joints…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once all the dishes had been placed on the banquet table that had been set up for them, Sonny whistled loudly to get everyone's attention in the room. Into the silence, Carly addressed the crowd with, "Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving! Welcome to the Corinthos/Spencer Family feast! Sonny and I are glad you all are here! The table is ready and we have more than enough food so everyone eat up, get full and enjoy spending this time with family! We're doing this buffet style so grab a plate and go for it!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The broad smile Val had on her face all day only dimmed slightly when she and Jordan made eye contact over the candied yam dish Jordan had brought. She gave her boss a small nod, her eyes shifting away at the last minute as she said, "Commissioner Ashford—it's good to see you and TJ here today. I'm glad you two could join us." "It was kind of Carly and Sonny to invite us. Look," she finally unbent enough to add, "it's Thanksgiving. For today, we can go back to being 'Jordan' and 'Valerie', ok?" Val, realizing what a huge concession this was, tried not to show her happiness at this evidence of Jordan's thawing toward her and she flatly answered, "I appreciate that, Jordan. Thank you." Jordan smirked when she saw Val attempting to downplay her response and she retorted, "You're welcome."

The atmosphere was filled with low droning buzzes and occasional bursts of laughter as several conversations were being conducted while everyone enjoyed their dinner. Like the little social butterfly in training she was becoming, Josslyn, after finishing her dessert, flitted from table to table, making sure everyone was having a good time. She then ran to her mother's table to report that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Carly thanked her for her "hard work" and she happily ran off again to fulfil her "duties" as hostess.

Dante turned to comment on Joss' antics when he noticed Val's eyes were closed and she was swaying gently to the song the DJ Carly had hired for the occasion was playing. He leaned in towards her and as he softly smoothed his finger over her arm he whispered in her ear, "Would you like to dance?" She opened her eyes and briefly scanned the room before turning to him and whispering back, "No one else is dancing, Dante. It's not exactly an occasion for dancing…" "I beg to differ," he told her, rising from his chair and then holding out his hand to her, further saying, "All you need is a spot on the floor and a desire to dance. Come on, Angel. Let's show these people how to party." He twirled her around once and then catching her tightly, they began swaying slowly together. Everyone in the room watched them for a moment and then Michael looked at Sabrina and said, "Dance with me." Finding their own space, they joined Dante and Val on the "dance floor". Recognizing the crowd he was playing for, the DJ began playing music more suited for dancing and soon the floor was filled with merrily gyrating couples showing off their moves.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The afternoon was sliding into evening when Sonny once again commanded attention of the room, saying, "Hey everybody, listen up! Did everybody get enough to eat?" He was pleased by the enthusiastic responses he received and he smiled broadly as he continued, "Good, good—that's what I wanted to hear! Carly and I are glad you all could come out and, you know, spend the holiday with us. Bein' with family is what it's all about, right? We especially want to thank the staff who, even though they're makin' double-time and a half for bein' here, are still away from their own celebrations right now. They really worked hard to make this special for us." Someone in the room started a spontaneous round of applause, which the Metro Court staff greatly appreciated and graciously accepted. When the applause died down, Sonny continued, "I got my dad here, who knows what to do with a turkey, right? I wanna thank him for stickin' around after the weddin' to spend this part of the holiday season with us. It's been great havin' him here." More light applause went around the room and Mike inclined his head in acknowledgement of Sonny's words. He went on, "All of you participated in bringin' somethin' special to the table and we wanted to thank you all for that, too. Traditions are important and I like this one we just started. I'm likin' the idea of doin' this every year." Assents of agreement went around the room at this statement and Sonny laughed aloud, stating, "Yeah, thought so! Free food, free booze, good company—can't beat it, right? We've got my brother Ric and his daughter Molly with us—my man TJ and his mom, too. Carly and I are thankful you all could join us. Carly's mom and brother are here, too, with his man—we've got a good crowd. Finally, for the first time in a long time, I've got all my kids in one room! Kristina's home from college, my boys are here with their girlfriends-"

"Morgan and I aren't together anymore," Kiki interrupted, the dinner wine having loosened her tongue.

"Huh?"

"Morgan and I broke up so one of your sons isn't here with his girlfriend. I found out that he was screwing my mom behind my back and it kind of ended the relationship." The room was stunned to silence before Sonny cleared his throat and answered, "Oh, ok. Morgan didn't tell us about that so we thought you were still his girlfriend-"

"Nope," Kiki replied while Morgan frantically tried to quiet her, eventually exclaiming in exasperation, "Damn, Kiki—SHUT UP!" Carly quickly interjected, "Don't talk to her that way, Morgan! You should have told us the truth before now!"

"I was gonna tell you after the holiday was over," Morgan insisted, "since you invited her behind my back anyway!" "I only invited her this time because you neglected to invite her to the family dinner we had last time and I didn't want her to feel left out!" "WELL, NOBODY TOLD YOU TO DO THAT, DID THEY?" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

Sonny realized he was losing control of his audience and he sharply snapped, "Morgan! Sit down and be quiet! You don't yell at your mother like that, either! We'll talk about this later! As I was sayin', I've got my kids here with their girlfriends, Kristina home from college-"

"On academic warning," Molly mumbled aloud. "MOLLY!" "Kristina, they're going to find out eventually! You should have told them already that you're thisclose to getting kicked out for partying too hard instead of studying!" "I told you that in confidence! How could you just blab it out like that! You're still such a child!" "I'M not the one flunking out of college!"

"Kristina, what the hell-" "It's not a big deal, Dad, ok? I'll make it up. I just wanted to get home and tell Mom before my professor did. I know she's not supposed to but I also know that she's one of Mom's friends. I didn't trust her not to say anything to Mom, so… Looks like I can't trust ANYBODY, though!" "Ok, lookit. That's disappointin', but we'll have to deal with it later when we can actually sit down with Alexis-"

"I'm an adult, Dad-"

"That ain't changin' anything, Kristina, ok? We'll talk about it later! I was in the middle of somethin' here-"

"Well, since this seems to be the day for family revelations," Michael interrupted, "now might be a good time to tell everyone that Sabrina and I are pregnant. Well, SHE'S pregnant, but I'm the one who got her that way!" A stunned and flabbergasted Sonny eventually sputtered, "Wait a minute, wait a minute—what? What are you sayin' right now?" while a horrified Carly jumped to her feet, exclaiming, "NO! That can't be right, Michael! You and Sabrina haven't been together long enough for her to be pregnant! Tell me you're making this up!"

"How long do we have to be together, Mom? I'm not making anything up! And I told Sabrina you'd be cool with it, so your response isn't helping," Michael replied after leaping to his feet as well, looking down at Sabrina, who was sitting very still with a wide, "deer in headlights" look on her face, her hand covering her mouth in embarrassed shock. "Well I'm NOT COOL with it, Michael! She can't be pregnant, that's all! She just can't be! And I'm too young to be a grandmother!"

"Ok, Carly," Sonny interjected, trying to restore calm once again, "it's a surprise, I know, but we've gotta support the kids if this's what's happenin' with them. And I'M a grandfather, and it ain't so bad-"

"You're OLD ENOUGH TO BE ONE, SONNY!"

"Whoa, what's that supposed to mean? What exactly are you sayin' here?"

Bobbie's attempt to silence her daughter consisted of a hissed, "Carly!" which fell on deaf ears as Carly went on, "Just that it makes sense for YOU to be a grandfather by now, given how many kids you actually have! But Michael is still a baby—MY baby-"

"Obviously not," Michael and Sonny exclaimed simultaneously. Carly tried to explain to the mortified Sabrina, "It's nothing against you personally, Sabrina-" falling silent when she caught Sonny's furious expression as he stood there with his hands on his hips. "Well it's sure coming across as personal, Mom! Look at her face-"

"OK—ENOUGH!" Mike finally roared. He went on once the room was quiet, "I think what my son was trying to do was thank everyone for spending the holiday together as a family! We were all having a great time with one another until the evening devolved into a free-for-all confession session! There are plenty of leftovers, which the staff has graciously wrapped up for us all to take home—anything we don't take will be given to the homeless shelter downtown. Did I miss anything, Michael?"

"No, Mike," Sonny said in an uncharacteristically subdued voice.

"Then I'm thinking that pretty much brings the evening's festivities to a close. Happy Thanksgiving, thanks for coming, get home safely, have a good night! Damn." The celebrants slowly shrugged into coats and jackets as they realized that the evening was indeed over. Catching Carly's attention, Val mouthed, "Thanks for everything. Good night." Silently acknowledging her thanks, Carly nodded back. Dante, after giving his father a slightly embarrassed shrug, took Val's hand and led her from the hotel ballroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They both breathed deeply of the night air outside the Metro Court before their eyes met and darted away as they tried to keep from laughing. They made it to the car and as Dante started the engine he began chuckling. Val snorted out a snicker and in moments, they were laughing uproariously. "Oh, my God, what just happened?" Val finally managed to gasp, attempting to catch her breath. "You tell me and we'll both know," Dante answered, wiping his by now streaming eyes, adding, "Happy Thanksgiving!" They both dissolved into renewed laughter. "It isn't funny—we shouldn't be laughing," admonished Val, unsuccessfully quashing her merriment. "I know, but damn, leave it to my family-" "OUR family," Val corrected, causing them even more amusement. "Right, right, OUR family," Dante repeated, adding, "What a way to end the evening!"

"Who says the evening is over?"

"Why? What'd you have in mind?"

"Let's get a bottle of wine when we get home, go out on the terrace with the iPod, drink a couple of glasses and dance the rest of the night away. I liked being in your arms earlier, Just Mine. Let's have a good ending to the night."

"I like it, Angel, with only one amendment."

"Like?"

"After we dance, let's end the night making love on the rug in front of the fireplace."

"So doable, JM. You've got yourself a deal."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	49. Chapter 49

Ch. 49

"What are you staring at so intently?" Dante asked Val when he entered the living area and noticed her looking out of the window. "Nothing really," she replied as she turned to face him, "I was just thinking about something. I think I'm going to have to go back to Philly for a few days, since I've got this time off." "I was wondering when you were going to mention wanting to do that," he told her. "I needed time to think first." "To think about what? I know you're curious." "Yeah, I am but I have to be careful here. I'd love to find my father but what do I do if I find him and he has a family? One that doesn't know about his past? Do I have the right to potentially rock his boat? I want to know him, if I can even find him, but I don't want to complicate his life in any way or become an inconvenience." "It's a lot to think about, for sure, especially if he doesn't know about you. Whatever you decide to do, you know you have my support, right?" "Of course I do—I'm counting on it," she said before turning back to the window to continue staring. Deciding to leave her to her musings, Dante went upstairs to the bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Dante, after coming to a decision, went to speak to his boss. "Hey, boss, got a minute?" asked Dante once he had knocked on Jordan's door and had been granted permission to enter. "Falconeri, good morning. What's on your mind?" "I know it's short notice but I was hoping to be able to take some time off. We just closed a major case and most of my other cases won't be hurt, I don't think, if I'm away from them for a couple of days." "It is very short notice," she agreed, adding, "so what's the deal?" "Over the holiday, Val and I came across some information that may be able to lead us to her father. She has this time off and she's thinking of going back to Philadelphia to see what she can find out. I don't want her to go alone, since I don't know what she'll find there." He paused and waited for Jordan's response. He was somewhat surprised when she nodded her head and agreed, "She definitely shouldn't go by herself. Even I know how important this would be to her. Wow—her father, huh? Is it a strong lead?" "It's a direction, a place to start. So far what we've got is his first name, if it's even him, and the name of a bar. I know conducting a search like this usually takes a lot of effort and time but she has to at least make a start with the time she has and I need to be there for her." "I hope she doesn't get hurt here. Have you considered that he might not want to be found?" "She's thought about it but it's still something she needs to do. One thing about Val that you already know is she doesn't shy away from things just because they're difficult. Whatever's facing her there, she'll deal with it head on." "Ok, well go, with my permission. Tell her I hope everything works out for her." "Or you could tell her yourself," he posed before being silenced by the expression on her face. After a brief staring contest, Dante chuckled and said, "I'll be sure to pass on your good wishes." "Good."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Upon returning to the penthouse, Dante found Val standing in the open closet of their bedroom scanning her wardrobe, an open suitcase already half full on the bed. He entered the closet and stood next to her for a moment, then bumped her slightly with his hip, saying, "Make some room for me here—I need to decide what I'm taking, too." "What you're taking? What do you mean?" "You didn't think I was gonna let you do this alone, did you? I'm coming with you." "I doubt Jordan—Commissioner Ashford—is going to allow you to-" "She already gave me the time off." "You're kidding, aren't you?" "Nope. Not only did she give me the time, she told me to tell you that she hopes everything works out for you."

"I can't believe it."

"Look, I told you that she didn't hate you, Angel. You disappointed her, that's all, not to mention you compromised yourself and her with your 'mission'. As your boss, she couldn't let you get off scot free. She was pleasant to you at the Thanksgiving dinner, wasn't she?" "Yeah, she was, I've got to admit that." "There you go, then. She's got to be thawing if she's allowing me to go with you on such short notice. Now about this trip—what's the game plan?"

"I was planning, when I thought I was going alone, to fly from here to Philly, pick up the rental car at the airport and check-in at the hotel where I've reserved a room. I guess all you'll need to do is get a plane ticket. If you hurry, you might be able to get a seat on my flight."

"I can't believe you didn't think to get a ticket for me, too. You honestly thought I'd let you go by yourself?"

"No, I didn't think the Commissioner would give you the time off."

"Hmm. Well why don't you start pulling out something appropriate for Philly weather for me while I go online to see if I can book the same flight?" While he got to work on purchasing his ticket, Val began packing Dante's suitcase.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sometime later after the end of the forty-five minute flight, Val guided their rental car to the front of the Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel near the airport. They left the car with the valet parking attendant and entered the hotel. The atrium on the opposite side of the entrance to the hotel immediately drew their attention and they smiled at one another in pleasure. Gazing up at the huge skylight above them Val murmured, "I can't wait to see this when the sun is out. The colors are going to be so beautiful!" The lush blue, pewter, green and gold colors of the lobby and atrium areas were an art lover's dream. Perusing the arty, almost Art Deco feel of the lobby, Dante spontaneously proposed, "I know we're here on business but let's have some fun while we're here, too." "Fun, huh? What exactly did you have in mind?" "It's a surprise," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously. "A surprise? How have you had time to plan one?" "How long is it supposed to take? Have Internet, will plan surprises. Anticipate it." "I will."

Since they had arrived in the earlier part of the evening, Dante and Val decided to order room service and then sketch out the rest of their immediate plans. "Unfortunately," Val was saying after having swallowed a bite of her pan seared salmon, "it seems as though the club doesn't exist anymore, so that's going to make finding anyone who remembers it a challenge."

"Footwork. Now you're gonna get a chance to see what I was talking about before. Pounding the pavement, going from place to place, talking to all kinds of people, just to get one lead. We'll approach it the way we would if it was a case. Start with the most obvious and work backward." "Then I think we should start at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. It'll be open in the morning, and someone there might know something, or be able to give us a direction to go in." "Sounds good. So what's on tap for the rest of the night, then?"

"The hotel has an indoor pool that I've been itching to get in ever since I saw it. We can do a bit more research now into the places we'll be going to tomorrow and then later on, go swimming."

"You know how to swim? I didn't know that. Did you pack suits for us?"

"Yeah, I did. And what, Philly kids aren't supposed to know how to swim? That's one of the things my friends and I used to do during the summer—go swimming at the Y."

"I guess you'll get a chance to show off your skills, then. Looking forward to it. Let me check out the local map so I can see where we're actually gonna be." He pulled out a map of the city and began plotting a course from the hotel to South Broad Street and the theatre.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante wholeheartedly approved of Val's little black bikini, he decided as he took in the low cut top and the straps on the sides of the bottom. That was, he approved until he noticed how many eyes she had drawn from the men lounging on either side of the pool and their appreciative stares. Seemingly oblivious to the attention she was drawing, Val reached up and pulled her hair into a quick top knot, which she secured with an elastic hair band. After watching her do some unconsciously provocative stretches, Dante was more than ready to get her into the pool and away from lustful eyes. "Let's get in—hurry up, Angel," he urged, slipping into the water from a sitting position on the pool's edge. "I'm actually going to swim, Dante—you should have done some stretches first if you plan to swim, too. You don't want to cramp up." "I'm gonna ease into the swimming part but I really think you should join me." "Fine." With a little hop, Val made a clean dive into the water. Resurfacing, she laughed as she blinked the water out of her eyes, noting, "It's been a while! The shock of diving in is always the worst part for me. But this water feels divine. I love swimming in warm water. Why were you in such a hurry for me to get in , though? You wanna race me or something? First one to the other end wins?" "No, that's not it. I don't like the way some of these guys are looking at you, that's all."

"Looking at me?"

"Yeah, like they've already had the main course and they want you for dessert. I just discovered something about myself and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I don't like other men looking at you, especially when you're wearing next to nothing and looking all hot."

"Should I not have worn the bikini?"

"You should be able to wear whatever you want to, Angel, so, no, the bikini is fine. I guess it's my inner caveman coming out. I mean, they see what I see, don't they? You're gorgeous. I should be proud that they wanna look and I think I am, mostly. There's another part of me that wants to push their faces in for even daring to look at you with 'that look' in their eyes. That's not your problem, though, it's mine. Forget about it—let's just swim." Val couldn't help but gaze around the pool area after she heard his words and sure enough, there were a few men who were casting glances in her direction, some innocently appreciative and some with a slightly deeper intent. Even though the water was warm, she shivered involuntarily. She hadn't been thinking about other men when she got dressed. Her thoughts had solely been on enticing one man. Ultimately realizing that she couldn't control anyone else's actions, she mentally shook off their attentions and concentrated on her breaststrokes as she began swimming toward the other end of the pool. Someone was suddenly swimming near her and for a moment, she thought it was Dante. Her heart rate increased as she automatically began racing faster to the other side. She wasn't sure what made her stop swimming but she did, her inner alarm bells abruptly ringing madly. Treading water, she looked around for Dante, who was moving in her direction. The man who had been pacing beside her turned back as well, and swam toward her with a smile. Scooping his dark hair back away from his face, he murmured, "You look like a mermaid—you swim beautifully. I couldn't resist moving in alongside you."

"Um, thank you." Sensing her discomfort he went on to say, "When I saw you I knew I had to introduce myself. I'm Jean-Louis Arseneau. And you are?" He reached for her hand. "You've gotta be kiddin'," Dante grated out as he swam up to them, adding, "If you saw her then you saw me, so whatever you're tryin' to do, I'd choose 'Option B' if I were you." "I was trying to say 'hello'. Is she your property, then?" Jean-Louis asked with a smirk. Dante and Val spoke simultaneously. "'She' can speak for herself, thank you very much-" "Is she my property—no. Is she my woman? All day long. You got no shot here." The two men glared at one another before Arseneau relented with a chuckle as he turned back to address Val with, "I only wanted to make your acquaintance. I wasn't aware, however, that you had a watchdog at your side. Another time, perhaps?"

"Not likely," Val politely but firmly responded.

"A pity," he told her before swimming away. They watched him for a moment and then Dante looked at Val, shaking his head. "I've gotta give it to him, he's bold as hell. I can't believe he came right up to you like that, as if he didn't know-"

"Didn't know what—that I was your 'woman'?" she asked, placing her arms around his neck and reaching up to stroke the back of his head. She smiled at him, causing him to laugh at himself. "I guess that was a bit much, huh, callin' you my woman like that?" "You've got a little jealous streak going on, don't you? I've never seen that side of you before. You did kind of sound like you were gonna drag me off to your cave any second there, but you know what? I kind of liked it."

"You liked that?" he whispered in her ear as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer and then softly kissed her lips.

"A lot," she whispered back, returning his kisses with firmer ones of her own. The water gently undulated around them as they deepened their embrace. Moments later, Dante abruptly jerked from her, stating in a low voice, "I want you."

"I want you, too. Maybe we should go do something about it."

"We could, but as soon as I get out of the water, everyone else at the pool is gonna know how much I want you. I've got a mini crisis on my hands here, Angel." "I've got a similar problem myself. Now the question is do we boldly get out of the water like two people who obviously want each other and walk over to our robes, or do we tread water until our mutual 'problem' subsides?" He pulled her even closer to his body and rubbed against her, asking, "Does this feel like it's goin' away any time soon?" Gently rubbing back she answered, "I sincerely hope not. What do you wanna do?" Pausing momentarily, Dante made a decision. "Fortune favors the bold, right? I want you; I don't care who knows it. Let's go upstairs." They swam for the side of the pool and hoisted themselves out, splashing water on the tiled floor as they made their way to their robes and pool shoes. Deliberately choosing not to acknowledge the eyes that were tracking their movements, Dante put his arm around Val and guided her toward the elevator. The couple who got on the elevator with them glanced in their direction and then looked quickly away. With shielding her man on her mind, Val moved from Dante's side to stand in front of him. He laughed as he pulled her close, breathing into her ear, "I'm not sure how much of a solution this actually is, baby." They stopped on the third floor and the couple hurriedly disembarked without a backward glance. "Why do I get the feeling that they thought we were a couple of perverts?" Val wondered laughingly after the doors closed and the elevator began moving again. "Might have somethin' to do with the fact that we're wanderin' through the hotel with robes on and I'm hard as a rock. Can't be sure, though. I wonder if there's a camera in here?"

"I'm pretty sure there is. Why?" He backed her into a corner, replying, "'Cause I'm about to give whoever's watchin' a show." He used his body as a shield, bending toward her as he began fumbling under her robe. "DON'T YOU DARE! I mean it!" she exclaimed, her eyes darting wildly around the ceiling as she tried to spot the camera or cameras watching them. "No?" "No." "You're no fun, Angel." "I'M no fun? What—you think I wanna get arrested for indecent exposure? How perfect, a cop and a cop-to-be getting arrested for indecent exposure in an elevator!" "The way I was plannin' to do it, there wouldn't have been any exposure, but the indecent part—I'll give you that one." They finally arrived at the eighth floor and made the way down the balcony to their room. Using the keycard Dante had retrieved earlier from the toe of his shoe, he opened the door wide to allow Val to enter. "So what's next on the agenda?" "Shower first, and then we'll see. C'mon, Just Mine. Let's go get wet."

"I thought you already were wet, Angel, somethin' I coulda checked for myself when we were in the elevator, if you'd have let me." He flashed her a wicked grin when he realized he had rendered her speechless, watching her gawp wordlessly at him. "Teasin' you is so much fun, Val—don't know why I get such a kick out of it, but I do." Val couldn't think of an appropriate response as he took her hand and pulled her down the hall to the bathroom so she decided not to try. She thought instead that she would give him her reply in the shower where they were more evenly matched. Her mind percolated with several ideas and she found herself grinning as well. Now she was in the mood to do some teasing of her own…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	50. Chapter 50

Ch. 50

The next morning Valerie was experiencing a bit of frustration. While she and Dante were eating their breakfast, she was also surfing the Web in an effort to get some kind of lead on where to start in the search for her father. One by one, the leads she thought she would be able to count on weren't available to them, since so many of the businesses were closed on Saturdays. "I can't believe I came all this way for nothing," Val finally said aloud in disgust. Shooting her a glance Dante questioned, "What's the problem, Angel?" Gesturing to her phone she told him, "Nowhere I planned to go today is open! Not one place! The Suzanne Roberts Theatre, the Senior Center—even the instrument store I wanted to go to is closed! I feel like the whole trip was a waste of time!" Cocking his head, he stared at her for a moment before asking, "Are you really sure you want to be a cop, Val?" "I don't see the correlation at all between my wanting to be a cop and feeling like coming here was pointless." "Well, for one thing, like I told you a few days ago, police work can be tedious and feel just like this feels for you right now. Chasing down leads that don't seem to go anywhere. 'Hurry up and wait' situations where the people you need to talk to aren't available when you need them to be. Having to have patience. Switching to Plan B or C when Plan A doesn't work out. Making sure you have a Plan B or C to switch to. It's all part of the process. We have a couple of choices here. We can wait until Monday when most of these places will be open. We might need to call Jordan and work out a couple of extra days with her. Or we can give up. I'll support whatever you decide but it would be a shame if we came all the way here and left without really investigating. If this wasn't a case involving your father, would you be so ready to quit?"

Val rubbed her forehead in an effort to smooth away the headache that was beginning to develop as she answered, "I'm not being a quitter, Dante. I'm just frustrated."

"I know you're not a quitter, baby. If you were, you wouldn't have been able to pull off your mission with Joey Robbs. I'm only asking you to take that same drive and apply it to this situation, ok? For the moment, just for the moment, we're stuck. We can work around that—we still have time."

"Time for what? To try to find him? Our time is limited, though-"

"No, I mean today. I have a surprise planned for you, remember? That's happening later on this afternoon. We have time until then. Here's a thought as a distraction—take me around."

"Take you around where?"

"Take me around Philly. I've only been here once or twice. Show me your city. Show me who you are."

"Show you where the bodies are buried, huh?"

"Sure, if that's part of what made you who you are. Show me where the bodies are buried."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With a beaming smile she didn't even realize she had on her face, Val parked the rental car next to the fence outside the Mercy Medical Center across the street from the home she grew up in on Hazel Avenue. They stepped out of the car and she took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly. Holding her hand out to him she invited, "Come on, Just Mine. Step into my world for a while." Val and Dante crossed the street and walked over to stand in front of the house that held so many of Valerie's childhood memories. "So this is where it all started, huh?" "Pretty much. All the way up until the day when the Spencers came knocking on my door—everything happened here." "Do you still own it?" Val ruefully chuckled as she threw him a look, saying, "We never owned it. I found out after my mom died that she, or WE, still owed on the house. It wasn't a large amount, but still. It ended up being one of those things I took for granted that didn't end up being true, like thinking my mom would grow old here. Like thinking someday I'd bring my own kids here and show them the house. Of course my mom would keep my room looking exactly the way it did when I lived there. I would show them all of my secret hiding places and talk about how many nights I did my homework sitting right in front of that window." She pointed up to the window over the front door of the house and then went on, "I would tell them how on some winters, the snow would be so high that the basement window would be covered and you couldn't see out. I planned to tell them all this while my mom sat there listening and backing up everything I said. That's how I thought it would be, anyway. I guess I got it wrong." Dante looked up and down the street before glancing back at the home with its dark and light brown bricks. As he took in the little garden that made up the front yard, he said, "Sounds like a good plan, Angel. Even though that didn't quite work out the way you thought it would, some of it is still possible. All you have to do is tweak your plan. It's strange, though. If things would've worked out that way, we might never have met. Selfishly, I'm kind of glad they worked out like this. Not you losing your mom, but the fact that everything that went down led you to me." Noting the expression on her face, which was changing from smiling to pensive, he jostled her hand and began pulling her down the street. "C'mon, Angel, this is the Valerie Spencer's Greatest Hits tour—there's gotta be more to see." Her good humor restored, she replied, "I don't know about 'Greatest Hits' but there's more to see."

They walked down to the end of Hazel Avenue and turned on to 52nd Street. She began speaking in a tour guide's voice while pointing out, "Over there is the salon where I was sent to get my hair done. My mom found out early that caring for my hair wasn't the same as caring for hers so she needed a little advice. Dee Dee—Deondra—did my hair all the way through high school. She got married and moved to Germantown, though. Now this park was the hangout when I was little," she added as they came to the Malcolm X park and stopped to watch several of the neighborhood children chase one another, screaming in glee. "My mom would bring me here after she got off work and she would sit and chat with some of the other mothers while we played. It was actually here and not at school, where I met Pippa and Judy for the first time. Swirl girls of the world, unite."

"'Swirl Girls'? What was that, the name of your club or something?"

"You've never heard that term before? It just means girls with multiple ethnicities. At least that's what it meant to us—I know it has another meaning, which I guess I'm hitting on, too. Anyway, I'm not sure if we started calling ourselves that or if we heard someone calling us that, but somehow it stuck."

As they continued walking Dante noticed, "I hardly ever think about the fact that we're from different races but I'm feeling it now. We seem to be getting a lot of interest here." Looking around with another focus, Val saw what Dante was referencing as she realized the shop owners and customers along the street were openly staring at them as they walked along. She told him, "More likely it's because we're fresh faces in the neighborhood. The people who know me aren't recognizing me yet and yeah, you're a little out of place." She laughed before going on, "You're definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto!" Suddenly stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, she declared, "We should go back and get the car." "Why? Having second thoughts about why people are staring at us?" "No, because I just thought of where I want to take you but we definitely need the car to get there." Turning back the way they came, they made their way down the blocks to the rental car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Welcome to Alex's Auto Body and Repair—hey!" It took Pippa a few seconds to recognize her friend and then she flew from behind the counter to wrap her arms around Val in a tight embrace. The years momentarily melted away as they giggled and bounced like excited children. Pippa briefly pushed Val back as she exclaimed, "Girl! Why didn't you tell me you were comin' home?" She hauled Val back into her arms. "Because I wanted it to be a surprise! I also wasn't sure we'd have the time to come by before we had to head back to Port Charles. I didn't want to get your hopes up…"

"Not come by! You'd have never heard the end of it if you had tried that stunt! And I'm always glad to see you but what brings you home in the first place? And when do you plan on introducing me to your friend?" Pippa released Val and gestured in Dante's direction.

"When you let me get a word in edgewise! Pippa Arondale, Dante Falconeri. Dante, this is Pippa, my-"

"Accomplice, if I remember correctly. Nice to meet you, Pippa."

"So YOU'RE Dante, huh? It's nice to meet you, too. Val's talked about you quite a bit." Ignoring her friend's quashing motions she went on, "'Accomplice'? What's he talkin' about, Val?" Pippa's eyes darted back and forth between Dante and Val as she tried to make sense of Dante's statement.

"Ohh, yeah-"

"You ARE the one who aided and abetted her by sending her a fake ID to help her scam a criminal, aren't you? You are THAT Pippa Arondale, right?" Pippa's eyes widened further as she involuntarily took a step backwards, telling Val, "I thought you said you weren't gonna bring heat to my doorstep? What's up with this?" Turning to him and thumping him on the arm, Val laughingly admonished Dante, "Stop sounding like a cop, Dante—you're freaking my friend out! Seriously, Pips, he's just messing with you!" Joining her in laughter, Dante confirmed, "Val's right, Pippa—I couldn't resist. Sorry if I gave you a scare. Although why my being a cop would freak you out-"

"Is a question for another day, JM. Getting back to YOUR question, Pips—I found some information that might lead to finding my father. Well, we found a couple of pictures and a name—Virgil. We were hoping to use today to go down to South Broad and ask some questions, see if anyone down there knew or knows him."

"Why South Broad in particular?" "Because of this," Val replied, pulling out and showing Pippa the pictures she had of Virgil and her mother. Pippa stared hard at the pictures in her hand. She smiled as she looked at a younger, happier, more vibrant Patricia. "Wow," she said softly, "I don't think I ever saw her smile like this. I remember her being a positive person, but this smile says something else. And if this is your father, he sure is fine. Younger than her, though. Didn't see that comin'. I thought you said he was married, Val? You still think that after seein' this picture?"

"Why not? Just because he's younger than her doesn't mean he wasn't married. There has to be a reason they weren't together when I was born."

"Maybe they just didn't make it or somethin'. But you could be right. And he bein' married would explain a few things… Now you've got me curious. I could call Uncle Gianni—he could get a couple of his guys on it-"

Dante asked, "Your Uncle Gianni?" while Val emphatically stated, "No! Thanks, but no thanks, Pips. I wanna find the guy but I'm not trying to scare him to death!" To Dante, she went on, "Uncle Gianni is kind of-" "Connected," Pippa finished for her when she couldn't find the right words. "No kidding," Dante said with a grin, adding, "I guess that's something we have in common, then." "You've got an uncle who's connected?" "Worse—I have a father who's connected." "Ok. A cop with a mobster father. Hmm. Where're you from? Maybe I've heard of him." After a moment's hesitation, Dante replied, "We're from Bensonhurst. My dad is Sonny Corinthos." Pippa couldn't hide being impressed as nodded and said, "Wow—not just a mobster, then. A heavy hitter. He's had a couple of meet and greets in South Philly. We'd heard that Sonny Corinthos had a kid who turned out to be a cop but I thought it was just a rumor. Havin' you around must really mess with his head!" Dante's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward slightly, querying, "Why am I getting a slightly pro-Mob vibe here? If I'm reading you wrong, I apologize, but-" "You didn't tell him?" Pippa asked Val, going on to explain, "More than half of my family on my dad's side is 'connected'. Our family name is Arondelli but my dad changed ours to separate us from the business. He and his two sisters managed to stay out of it but my uncles didn't even try. I'm not sure if I'm pro-Mob or pro-family. I guess growin' up around it makes me more acceptin' of it," she ended with a shrug.

"That wasn't a knock, only an observation."

"It's cool."

"Good. Now one of the reasons I wanted to meet you was to get all the dirt on your friend. I'm sure you've got plenty of embarrassing stories she'd rather you not tell me." "Don't you dare, Pips!" "Girl, you know I'm gonna spill it! You just sit back and make sure I get the names and dates right!" Much to Val's chagrin, Pippa, with a chuckle, began regaling Dante with tales of the Swirl Girls' exploits.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was going on into the early part of the afternoon when Dante reluctantly reminded Val that they would need to leave if they were to get to his surprise on time. Pippa walked them out to the car and after receiving a promise from Val that they would try to come back by before they left for home, she gave her friend a hug. Dante extended his hand again, which this time Pippa knocked aside. Hugging him she told him, "You might as well get used to me—somethin' tells me you're gonna be around for a while. You're all right; I'm glad Val brought you by. Take good care of my girl." They got into the car and after a final wave from Pippa, Dante drove toward Broad Street.

"Something tells me that coming from your friend, 'you're all right' is a ringing endorsement," Dante observed, glancing down at the car's GPS to make sure he was heading in the right direction. "For a cop," Val laughed. "What's that supposed to mean? Or did you forget that it won't be too much longer before YOU'RE going into the academy yourself?"

"That's what she meant—you're ok for a cop."

"No kidding?"

"Nope."

"Ok, quick question. Is that a legit repair shop or is it still a chop shop?" "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies." "I see. Well, I guess you've gotta figure that someone who knows someone who can get fake IDs on demand isn't exactly on the up and up." Val frowned at him and then remarked, "Look, she's got her smudges but like she said, she grew up around that life. I never judged her for it, only accepted her. We accepted each other. I didn't rag on her about half of her family being in the Mob and she didn't rag on me for not having a father. That's just the way we are with each other." "And I'm not saying or implying that it ought to be any other way. I'm glad you have a friend who's so obviously on your side. I like her. She's all right, for a connected chop shop runner." Val could only shake her head as she tried to keep from laughing at his description of her best friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val's mouth dropped open in amazement when Dante guided the car to the underground parking garage at The Kimmel Center. "What on earth—this was your surprise?" she asked, a look of pleasure evident on her face. "This was it," he told her after pulling into a parking spot. He climbed out of the car and walked around to her side to open her door and help her alight. Tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, he enlightened her, saying, "You and I, my lady, are going to see The Rock School for Dance Education perform Nutcracker 1776 in the Merriam Theater. You saw the original Nutcracker with your mom in the Merriam. This is a twist on the show you saw—it has a more Philadelphia-centric theme. My way of saying 'Welcome home—let's create some new memories here.'"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once they located their seats on Row E, Val gazed around her with a contented sigh. She was finding it hard to contain her excitement as she observed with appreciation the golden glow the lights in the theater cast off. Dante noticed her wistful glances at the balcony box seats above them and he leaned over to whisper, "Next time, Angel. This was kind of a spur of the moment purchase so these seats were the best I-" "Are you joking, Dante?" Val interrupted him to inquire. She went on, "I'm just so happy we're here! You told me you had a surprise and to anticipate it but I never guessed anything like this! As far as I'm concerned, these seats are perfect. I've always loved how warm and inviting the lighting here makes me feel. It seems as if they're saying, 'Welcome. We want you to have the best time while you're here.' Do you feel it?" Dante's eyes moved around the theater for a moment before he turned back to her, answering, "It's a beautiful theater, for sure. I sense the anticipation in the air from everyone here but I don't know if I'm feeling exactly what you're feeling. I think the energy I'm noticing is coming from the crowd more than the theater itself. But if it's telling you you're gonna have a good time while you're here, I have to agree with it. This show's supposed to be pretty awesome." Val reached out and gave his arm a brief squeeze. "Thank you so much for this, Dante. I was kind of discouraged earlier in the day but between showing you my home, talking with Pips and now this, it's like those feelings never existed. Thank you for wanting to see the Valerie Spencer who lived here. Showing her to you made me forget about everything else."

"You're very welcome. Thanks for being such a good sport about letting me listen to Pippa's stories about you—I know you were embarrassed at times. That girl doesn't hold anything back, does she? I feel like I know you that much better now. The brawler with the heart of gold…"

"I wasn't a brawler! I just didn't like seeing people getting bullied and I didn't mind standing up for them. My mom always told me whenever I saw injustice not to just sit by but to speak up. I can still hear her voice ringing in my head, 'Sometimes, baby girl, standing up will be uncomfortable. It might even be dangerous. All the same, though, you do the right thing. Don't be a sheep—you lead the crowd.' I never got in trouble for fighting because she always considered them 'righteous fights'. I'm sure I told her more than once but I hope she really knew how awesome I thought she was. I hope I told her enough-"

"The way you describe your relationship, Angel—she knew. I don't doubt that for a second." The lights flickered suddenly causing an immediate hush to fall in the theater. As the ballet began getting underway, Dante extended his hand to Val and she gratefully reached back, lifting it briefly to her lips to drop a light kiss there. Her attention was quickly captured by the drama unfolding onstage as she allowed herself to become wholly lost in the story.

From the corner of his eye, Dante watched Val's face as she watched the ballet. He wasn't sure which was entertaining him more—the ballet itself or Val's reactions to everything happening onstage. "She really is like a little kid again," he thought as he listened to her 'ooh' and 'aah' and gasp along with the crowd. He was glad he had thought of this and that the tickets had been available. Somehow, this trip was turning into something worth remembering for them both. Of course finding her father would be the icing on the cake but even if that proved an impossible task, he was still glad they had made the trip to Philadelphia together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	51. Chapter 51

Ch. 51

The beginning of the day's legwork started at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. Val was experiencing a bad case of the butterflies and they flitted merrily around in her stomach as she and Dante entered the lobby of the massive theater. Taking in the vastness of the lobby with its pink, fuchsia and purple carpets with various works of art on the walls, she gathered her courage and approached the lobby desk. With a broad smile, the woman behind the desk asked, "May I help you?" Val cast a quick glance at Dante, who urged her on with an encouraging nod and then she replied, "I hope so. I have a couple of pictures here"—she placed the pictures on the counter desk—"and I was hoping to get a bit of information from anyone here who might know the man in them or remember the club where these pictures were taken." The woman took the pictures and looked at them briefly before stating, "I'm not sure I'm the one who can help. I've only been here for a few years. Let me find Myra for you—she's our walking history book around here." She picked up the phone and called somewhere within the theater and it was only a moment when an older woman, the presumed Myra, walked up to them with a somewhat puzzled smile. "I'm Myra. I understand you have some pictures you'd like for me to look at?"

"Nice to meet you, Myra. I'm Val and this is Dante. Yes, we'd like any information you might be able to give us on the man in this picture or about Pep's Musical Bar itself." Val handed the pictures to Myra, who looked intently at them with a frown of concentration. "Why are you trying to find this man, if I may ask?" Val slightly panicked expression when she caught Dante's eye caused him to smoothly explain, "We're police officers from Port Charles, New York. We wanted to question this man for information he might have in conjunction with a case we're currently working." He flashed his badge at her and she nodded in understanding. "Something about his face does seem familiar but I'm sorry, I can't really help you." Val couldn't hide the disappointment on her face as she told Myra, "That's ok—it was a longshot at best, anyway. Thanks for your time."

They were leaving the theater when Val turned to Dante and asked, "Why did you make up that story about why we wanted to find Virgil?" "I think I read the expression on your face and made a spot decision. It's hard to explain to strangers that the man in the picture might be your father and you're trying to find him. It's also not really anyone else's business. A cover story works, protects your privacy and still gets the job done."

"Thank you for thinking of that."

"That's why I'm here, Angel. What's next on the agenda?"

There's an instrument shop around here somewhere that I wanted to check out. I thought since the picture was actually taken in a club, maybe Virgil is connected to music somehow. Musicians need instruments, so…"

"Sounds good. Let's see what we can find out." They walked a ways up South Broad Street from the Suzanne Roberts Theatre to Frederick W. Oster Fine Violins. Dante dubiously gazed up at the four-story building and queried, "Are you sure this is the right place? It looks more like an old house than an instrument shop." "This is the place, all right. Haven't you noticed that a lot of these stores and shops are old houses that have been converted? Isn't it the same way in older parts of New York?"

"That's true—you're right. It's just amazing that if you hadn't told me this was the place we were looking for, I'd have walked right past it." They set off an old-fashioned tinkling bell when they entered the shop and momentarily, an older gentleman moved from the back of the shop to join them. "Good morning. May I help you two find something?" This time Dante took the point on the questioning and he told the shop's owner, "We hope so. We're looking for information concerning a case we're working." He showed his badge to the man and further stated, "We have a couple of pictures we'd like you to take a look at, if you don't mind." He gestured for Val to hand the pictures to the older man as he went on, "We realize that the club in the pictures doesn't exist anymore but we were thinking that since your shop has been here for so many years, you might remember something about it or the man in this picture. Were you here when Pep's Musical Bar was open?"

Staring at the pictures in his hand he replied, "I'm afraid not, young man. Even though our business has been around for over thirty years, we've only been in this location since 2008. Surely Pep's was closed down by then, I believe. A long time ago there were a lot of jazz clubs along this street but most of them are gone now."

"Do you remember anything about the club itself?"

"That was before even my time," the man chuckled ruefully before going on, "You would have wanted to speak to my father, but it's a long time since he left us. Yes, he knew all the musicians and club owners back then. My tastes tend to lean toward the classical but my father just loved good music of all kinds. I'm really sorry I can't be of more help, though. Have you gone to the Senior Center next door? There might be someone there who can answer your questions." He included Val in his regretful smile.

"That's our next stop, actually. Thank you so much, sir, for taking the time to talk with us," she told him.

"You're very welcome, young lady. I wish I could have been more helpful to you both. If you're ever in the market for a violin or a bass, come back and see us." He walked them to the front door and with a wave, watched them make their way to the Philadelphia Senior Center.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they walked the few feet from the violin shop to the Senior Center, Dante spontaneously grabbed Val's hand and began swinging it, giving her a pleased smile as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Smiling broadly back at him she asked, "What?" "Nothing really. I thought you'd be really bummed out and frustrated by now but you're still engaged and you're still smiling. I'm proud of you, baby."

Laughing, she remarked, "I knew we were in for a long haul when nothing was open on Saturday. We had a lazy day yesterday and I think that rejuvenated me. Of course the massage I got from Kevin the hotel masseuse didn't hurt, either." His smile faltering a little, Dante told her, "Listen, Missy. I think the less said about 'Kevin', the better. I might have mentioned my inner caveman?" "Once or twice." "Yeah, well, maybe you need to be getting your massages from my hands from now on."

"I don't know—someone like Kevin actually went to school to learn how to do what he does. He learned well, too. His hands were magic." He pulled her to a stop before she could reach for the door of the senior center. "Are you messin' with me right now?"

"Maybe a little bit. I like seeing your 'inner caveman'. But it wasn't a lie that he had magic hands. If you can bring it like he did, you've got my business from now on." "After the walkin' we'll end up doin' today, his 'good work' will all be undone, anyway. We get back to our room and I'll give you the massage of a lifetime."

Val leaned into Dante and whispered into his ear, "Well, no matter how magic his hands were, yours are the only ones I really want roaming all over my body. We should stop somewhere and get some oil, really make a night of it."

"I've already got the oil. You're in for a treat." "You had oil with you? Why didn't you give me the massage-" "Good things come to those who wait," he teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Simply shaking her head, Val reached for the door again when Dante stopped her, saying, "I know you're liberated and all but it's ok to let me be a gentleman sometimes. I'LL get the door, if you don't mind." Moving aside, she grandly gestured at the door, which Dante responded to by opening the door with a flourish. "After you, my lady." "Thank you, kind sir," she responded.

Val's spirits were even more renewed when she took in the bright, open floor plan of the senior center. Looking around at the varying ages of the people enjoying the services of the center, most of whom seemed happy and contented, made her smile grow. Dante noticed the huge grin on her face and he couldn't help responding with a grin of his own as he wondered, "What's caused that look?" She nodded and continued gazing around the large room, murmuring, "This place has a good feel. I like it. It feels like something good is going to happen here." While she was speaking, one of the staff members of the center came up to them with an engaging smile of her own. "Hello and welcome to the Philadelphia Senior Center on the Avenue of the Arts! I'm Jennifer! Are you looking for services for a loved one?" "No, actually, Jennifer, we're police officers from New York after some information on a case we're working. We're hoping that some of the seniors here might have some knowledge that will be helpful."

"We have some of the best and brightest seniors in Philadelphia here! If anyone can assist you, they can! What can I do to help?"

Dante and Val exchanged amused glances. "We appreciate your enthusiasm, Jennifer. If we could just randomly mingle with some of the people and ask our questions, that'd be great."

"As long as they don't get upset by your questions, go ahead—mingle! And if you need any more help from me, just call out 'Jennifer!' and I'll come right away! She flashed them another sunny smile and then walked away to greet another couple who entered the center's lobby. They overheard her greeting and Dante questioned, "I wonder if she has to say that mouthful all day to everyone who comes in here?" "Probably so, since it seemed to flow out naturally. She's definitely bubbly, isn't she? But then her personality no doubt helps her keep the spirits of the elderly up. I can't imagine being that perky all day!"

"She totally had an 'Energizer bunny' thing going on, didn't she? Hey, whatever works. How do you want to handle this?" he finished, refocusing on the business at hand. "I'm not sure," Val answered uncertainly. She perused the room again with a frown. Sensing her hesitation, he posed, "We can either each take a picture and work the room or we can canvas together. What sounds better to you?" Narrowing her eyes, she returned his stare and then asked, "You're leaving it up to me?" "Of course I am, Angel. This is your investigation so you decide how we go forward. I'm only here for back up. Now I think we could cover more ground if we split up but we don't have to do that. Whatever you want to do is what we'll do." Val hesitated for only a moment before deciding, "Let's split up. You're right—we could cover more ground that way." She caught his approving nod and as she handed him one of the pictures of her mother and Virgil she asked, "Did I make the right decision?" "Yeah, you did. Now put on your cop hat and don't think like a curious daughter. Don't forget—you need patience for this kind of hunt, ok? Don't get frustrated, here, Val, just work the case."

"Gotcha. Let's do it." They separated and began questioning the various seniors engaged in differing activities around the center. Over and over they explained who they were and asked the same things—"Do you know this man?" "Can you tell me anything about Pep's Musical Bar?" "Were you in Philadelphia when Pep's Musical Bar was open?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was moving into the afternoon when Dante finally hit pay dirt. Going out into the courtyard, he watched two old codgers arguing back and forth over a game of checkers. Laughing inwardly at the insults they were throwing one another, he asked aloud, "Isn't it a little bit cold for you guys to be out here playing checkers?" They looked up from the checker board to regard him standing there. The older of the two, Harold, wondered with a sneer, "What're you, the health police?"

"You missed on the 'health' part but the cop part you hit perfectly." He stood there and waited for his words to register with them and when they did, the younger man, Jeremiah, told him, "Hey, he didn't mean no disrespect." Harold grumbled, "Speak for yourself—I meant what I said! You think I'm too stupid not to know when to come out the cold?"

"Not at all, sir," Dante responded, going on, "It was just an observation owing to the coolness of the air today."

"A little cold never killed nobody," Harold asserted, which made his friend give him a frowning glare as he countered, "Whatchu talkin' about, foo'? Cold's killed a lot of people! You always sayin' somethin' dumb when you tryna be clever." Addressing Dante, he queried, "You got somethin' you wanted to know?"

"I do, actually. Do either of you happen to remember Pep's Musical Bar? It was a jazz club back in the day, not too far from here."

Jeremiah grinned as he cast his mind back, "Yeah, man, I 'member it! Joint was always jumpin'! Some of the best acts in the biz played at Pep's. Why you wanna know, though?" Showing them the picture he had of Virgil and Patricia, he explained, "I'm looking for information about the man in this photo. From the little bit I know currently, they used to spend time there." They passed the picture between them as Harold mumbled, "Pep's's been closed for years. You ain't gonna find too many of us ol' heads who 'member it." Dante nodded in agreement and stated, "I know, which is why I thought of coming here. I figured I had a better chance of finding someone here who might remember it than anywhere else, since it used to be close by. What can you tell me about it?"

Jeremiah tilted his face toward the sky with his eyes tightly closed. "All the best acts came through. New acts with known names—they all blew there. Don't recall a lot of White folks bein' there but there were a few who 'preciated good music that stopped by. Sure there were probally a few reg'lars. He does look kinda familiar, though. Not sure why. He reminds me-" Harold interrupted him in the middle of his musings, exclaiming, "Hold up! Lemme see that again." He almost snatched the picture from Dante's hand and gave it another hard examination. His face brightened as clarity came to him and he said, "Yeah, that's what I thought! That's what was buggin' me 'bout this picture! That ain't Pep's. Don't know why that's written on there but that ain't Pep's. That's the Clef."

"The Clef? Man, you blind! That ain't the Clef!" "Not the new one, the ol' one, foo'. The Clef from back in the day. All I know is the club in this picture ain't Pep's."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val entered the courtyard just in time to hear Harold's assertion that the club in the picture he was looking at wasn't Pep's Musical Bar and her heart sank. She had been hoping Dante was having better luck than she'd had. She had met some very nice people, none of whom could help with her search. She came nearer as Dante affirmed, "But you said there's a new Clef Club, right? Is it still in this area?"

"Man, it's right down the street a few blocks from here. It's got a fancier name now but it's the Clef all right," Harold insisted emphatically. Once she had reached Dante's side he said, "Hey, Angel. These guys-" he broke off and waited for them to introduce themselves. "Harold," Harold grumbled, pointing at his chest. "Jeremiah," Jeremiah said. "-might have some information for us." Smiling at Val in appreciation, Jeremiah asked, "You with him, pretty girl?"

"Yeah, I'm with him. Are you absolutely sure the club in this picture isn't Pep's?" "Now here come another one who think I'm senile-" "No, sir, not at all," Val interrupted him to declare, going on, "It's just weird…" "It might be weird but I know what I know. Go down to the Clef. You'll see. I know what I'm talkin' 'bout."

Dante soothed Harold's ruffled feathers by saying, "I don't doubt it for a minute. Thanks, Harold. You too, Jeremiah. You've both been a great help to our investigation. You've given us our first solid lead." Val added her thanks to Dante's. They left the two men arguing again, this time about the best jazz clubs in town and waved at Jennifer in the lobby as they made their way back to the street. Pulling up the Internet on her phone, Val slowly read, "The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts, located at 738 S Broad Street. That's just a few blocks from here! I told you I had a good feeling about this place!"

"You were right, baby. Now we can go ahead to the Clef Club, or we can try to find some lunch. What do you wanna do?" She gave him an unknowingly pleading look as she answered, "Are you very hungry? I really want to go on to the club, especially since they're open now." Shaking his head, he replied, "I can wait. It's a good thing I had such a big breakfast, though, isn't it?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie felt as though she was on the cusp of something momentous after she and Dante entered the performing arts center. There was no way to explain why she felt this way but she KNEW something good was going to come from whatever they found out at this place. It was this excited realization that propelled her forward and caused her to forget Dante's admonishment about letting him be a gentleman who opens doors for her. He caught the wave of her palpable excitement and his own heart rate accelerated.

In the small foyer they waited in line to be serviced. When their turn to be helped came, the man behind the glass partition asked, "Can I help you folks?" Stepping forward, Val responded, "We sure hope so! We just left the senior center where we were told that the people in this photograph aren't at Pep's Musical Bar, as we'd previously supposed, but instead were at the Clef Club, the old Clef Club. We were hoping to verify that, as well as get any additional information anyone could share." After receiving a concerned, somewhat searching gaze from the man, Dante added, "We're police officers from New York following up on a lead for one of our cases." He showed the man his badge. Laughing sheepishly, Val apologized, saying, "I'm sorry—I got ahead of myself! I should have explained from the beginning…"

"No problem. Let me see what you've got there," he replied as he reached for the picture. Studying it for a few moments, he finally said, "This does look like the old Clef Club. I'm not positive—I wasn't around then. Let me try to find a couple of our directors. They'd be more assistance than I would." A woman walked into the small office as he was speaking and he turned to her, asking, "Hey, Carla, have you seen Mr. Hinds or Mr. Gardner? These folks are looking for some help with a criminal case." Choosing not to correct him, Dante waited for Carla to answer, "I think they're just finishing up with a meeting. Want me to try to chase them down?"

"If you could, please." She disappeared down the hall. Into the silence, Dante stated, "We really appreciate your help." "Yes," Val added, echoing Dante's thankfulness, "I have a feeling we're going to get some good news here, so thank you so much for your time."

"That's why I'm here. Oh, here they are. This is Mr. Gardner, our Executive Director, and Mr. Hines, our Artistic Director. These folks are from New York. They're police officers investigating a case and they're hoping we can help them with information." "Let's go back into my office," Mr. Gardner told them. He led them down the corridor to his office, closing the door behind them. "Now," he continued, "Tell us how we can help." Leaning forward in the offered chair across from the director's desk, Val explained, "We were told that the club in this picture is the old Clef Club, not Pep's Musical Bar, even though, for some reason, 'Pep's' is mentioned on the back." Mr. Gardner turned the photo over and nodded as he read what was written there. She went on, "We're mostly interested in the man in the photo." Mr. Gardner confirmed, "This is a picture of the old club. You see, the club itself has been in existence since the '60s but we moved to this facility in the '80s. This might be one of the last pictures taken in the old club. The man, though—he does seem familiar. What do you think, Lovett?" he asked the artistic director after handing him the photo. "He's got one of those faces, doesn't he, one you swear you recognize. Hmm. I know him. He's younger in this picture, but I'm pretty sure we know him. That dreadlocked hair…" The answer seemed to come to them both at the same time as Mr. Hines exclaimed, "The Professor!" Snapping his fingers, Mr. Gardner nodded in agreement.

"The Professor?"

"Yeah. He was a young guy back then, just starting out at Temple University. Teaching English, I think. Yeah. Very well spoken even then—he had a poetic way of talking. I don't recognize the woman but the Professor still comes into the club every few months or so. It's been a while since we've seen him. If I'm not mistaken, he's still out at Temple. Virgil, Virgil-" He was stuck on Virgil's last name, something Mr. Gardner was able to supply after a brief computer search. "Virgil Mc Cullom. Professor Virgil Mc Cullom." The two men high-fived one another in celebration and then turned to Dante and Val expectantly. When Val didn't speak, Dante offered, "We couldn't have asked for more help. That you actually came up with a name is phenomenal. We can't thank you both enough." "Hey, I'm just glad that the old brain cells came through! You're both very welcome."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standing on the sidewalk outside the grey building, Dante observed a silent Val, who appeared shell-shocked by the news they had heard. In the nick of time he prevented her from getting into the wrong rental car by grabbing her arm and pulling her to a stop. "You ok, Angel?" he queried worriedly, staring into her eyes with concern.

Let's go eat," she replied. When she moved again toward the car, she was once again stopped. "Talk to me, Angel. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm scared, Dante."

"Ok, I get that, but this is a good thing, Val. It's the reason we came. We've got a name and a direction. More than likely, we've got HIM. This is what we wanted, baby."

"You're right. I know you're right. But let's go eat. I'm suddenly hungry. And I need a stiff something or other to go with it."

"A little early in the day for that, isn't it?"

It's five o'clock somewhere. Come on," she insisted, pushing him toward their rental car, adding, "I need a drink."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	52. Chapter 52

Ch. 52

"You think I'm being ridiculous, don't you?" asked Val as she peered over the glass in her hand at Dante. The scotch she had ordered at Volvér, a restaurant not far from the Kimmel Center, was going a long way toward calming her fraying nerves. She nodded her head for emphasis and took another sip of her drink while waiting for his reply.

"Of course not, Val. Listen, when Lulu first told me that Sonny was my father, I prayed that I was dreaming or having a bad reaction to the drugs they had me on in the hospital. I wanted it to be a lie. I wanted to crawl under the nearest rock and hide. I was so disgusted—the last thing I wanted to be was connected to Sonny Corinthos, the biggest crime boss on the Eastern Seaboard. You don't know this guy or how he's gonna react to you so it makes sense that you're feeling some fear. I don't blame you one bit but you came this far because you wanted to know him. This is your chance."

"It is. I know it is. And I don't intend to back away from it. I don't know why I'm so scared, though. I faced a known criminal across a desk in his own territory and I wasn't this scared. I don't get it."

"You're afraid he'll reject you, I'm thinking."

"I think you nailed it. Deep down, I'm afraid that he already knows about me and doesn't care. Or that he didn't know but he won't want to be bothered. If it's either of those scenarios, I don't know what I'll do, Dante, I really don't."

"You'll handle it, Angel. It'll hurt like hell and even leave an emotional scar. You're strong, though, and I know you'll handle it. I'll be here to help you—don't forget that. He might be glad to meet you, as well. Don't anticipate or jump ahead of things. Let's find him and talk to him first. Go from there."

Val finished the last of her drink and rose from the table with an audible sigh. "Let's go, then." Dante took a quick, regretful glance around the restaurant before wondering, "Aren't you hungry? Don't you want to get something to eat first?" Her eyes widening, Val rapidly shook her head and asserted, "No way. I'm too keyed up to eat right now. If I'm gonna do this, I need to go now, get it over with. Unless you want something?" His dreams of a hearty lunch dwindling, he answered, "No, we can go now. I won't die of starvation—we can always eat later." The dryness of his tone thoroughly went over Val's head as she agreed with him and began walking toward the exit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Valerie's heart felt as though it would jump out of her chest. She and Dante were standing outside one of the classrooms on the tenth floor of Anderson Hall at Temple University. Val knew that destiny was waiting for her on the other side of the door, if she could only convince herself to walk through it. "I feel sick," she abruptly said, pressing her hand against her stomach and giving Dante a look that was edging near panic. "Do you want me to go in with you?" "Yes. No. No. I'll go alone. I can do this." Plastering a falsely bright smile on her face, she turned with determination and reached for the door handle. She paused to take a deep breath and he reached out and gently rubbed her back, telling her, "Yeah, you can do this. I'll be waiting out here for you, no matter how long it takes, ok?" "Ok."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She measured her breaths—in, out, in, out—and slowly made her way down to the front of the lectern. At the podium appearing utterly preoccupied by whatever he was reading was an older version of the man in her mother's pictures. Her heart was hammering madly and she could feel perspiration breaking out on her body but she forced herself to keep moving forward. She was almost upon the stage when the man finally looked up, realizing he was no longer alone. He gave her a distracted smile, saying in a smooth, modulated tone, "Oh, hello there. I didn't hear you come in. May I help you?"

"I—I"

"Yes?"

"I—was wondering if I could get some information about auditing one of your classes," she finally blurted out, mentally kicking herself for her cowardice.

"Ah. I can help you with that. In which class were you interested? There is a bit of paperwork involved and you'll need the dean to sign off on it, but I'm sure that won't be an issue…" He broke off and frowned when he saw her slowly back away from him. Feeling as though she were in the middle of a full-blown panic attack, she gasped out, "I'm sorry. Sorry to have wasted your time. I shouldn't have come here." As she turned to run out of the room, he called after her, "It's really not a problem. If you change your mind, come back." He frowned even further over the strange encounter with the young woman and then shook his head as he resumed his work.

Flying out of the room as if the hounds of Hell were pursuing her, Val slammed herself against the wall outside the lecture hall, trying desperately to catch her breath. Dante rushed over to her with a look of concerned alarm, asking, "Whoa, Val, what's wrong? What happened in there? What did he say?" "I couldn't do it, Dante. I froze. What's wrong with me? This is crazy! I made up some stupid lie and ran away like a coward! I feel like such an idiot-"

"Stop. Listen to me. Whatever you decide to do, I'm here for you. I'm here with you. If you want to drop it and leave, we'll do that. You've obviously got a lot riding on this, baby, maybe more than you realized. You're not a coward. That's the last thing you are. I KNOW you can do this—I have ultimate faith in you. I need you to have that same faith. You're not afraid to go through a door, Val. You already went through this one. Take a deep breath, calm down, and tell me what you want to do. I won't mock you, I won't hold it against you—this is your show. Your FATHER is on the other side of that door. Don't you want to know him? Don't you want him to know you? This is your shot, Angel. Tell me what you want to do."

Tears formed in her eyes as she returned his focused stare. "I've never been this scared in my life, Dante. I don't know why I can't stop shaking. But I also know that I can't walk away. I didn't let fear stop me with Joey Robbs—I can't let it stop me here. It means too much. I've just got to find the key to getting out of my own way."

"Try this: 'The anticipation of death is worse than death itself.'"

"Meaning?" "Meaning that no matter how bad you think it is, you're most likely over exaggerating the situation. Meaning that you'll most likely look back at this very moment and realize there wasn't a reason to be so scared. Whatever it is, whatever happens, you won't be facing it alone. Know that. Take strength from that."

Val listened to Dante's words and the conviction behind them. Straightening her spine, she took another deep breath and confirmed, "You'll be here?" "I'm not moving an inch." "Ok. I'm going back in. No matter what he says or does, I know I can face it if you're here waiting for me." He leaned forward and gently kissed away the single tear that was sliding down her cheek before pulling her into his arms for a hug. "You can do this. And no matter what happens next, you're still Valerie Spencer, the woman I love. Nobody's taking that from you, ok?" "Ok. Here goes nothing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ah. You've come back, I see. Have you changed your mind about auditing one of my classes, after all?"

"No I haven't. I'm sorry about my behavior earlier. I'm also sorry for lying to you."

"Lying to me? About?"

"I didn't come here to talk to you about auditing a class."

"Indeed. Then what, may I ask, brought you here?"

"These did." Val reached into her purse and pulled out the pictures she had been carrying and placed them on the podium. Holding her breath, she waited for his reaction. His eyes widened as he gazed at the pictures and he softly uttered, "Ohh, my" unknowingly. "Patty P," he whispered, gently smoothing his finger over Patricia's image. Virgil looked at Val in astonishment, querying, "This is a blast from the past. How did you happen to come by these pictures?"

"They were my mother's. I recently found them among her things after she passed away. Patricia—she's my mom."

"Passed away? Oh, no," he said, his head briefly dropping, his eyes tightly closing. He added, "I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear that. For a time, she and I—but you said she was your mother? If you don't mind an indelicate question, when were you born? How old are you?"

"In 1987—September. I'm twenty-eight."

"Yes, yes. That fits. That fits our time frame exactly. And if Patricia is your mother, most likely, I'm your father. Wow. I—wow. I speak words for a living and yet I'm speechless. I don't even know your name."

"I'm sorry—my mind is a mess today! I'm Valerie. Valerie Spencer." At the last minute Val remembered to extend her hand toward him.

"Spencer, of course. I'm honored to meet you, Valerie Spencer. I'm Virgil Mc Collum. How thoroughly surreal this is, to be introduced to my own child as though she were a stranger!"

I'm not here to make any claims or demands on you, Professor. I just-" her voice trailed to a stop.

"No, of course not, though any claims or demands you could make I would rightfully answer. I'm amazed that of all the scenarios I've dreamed up over the years involving your mother, this one never occurred to me. I'm assuming that would be because she never told me about you." Virgil suddenly stared into Val's face, as if searching for something. "I see her in you. My Patty P. And perhaps, a bit of myself, as well. This is incredible."

"She never told you about me?"

"No, I'm afraid not, but I understand why she withheld that truth from me. She knew knowing would change the course of my life, and that wasn't her aim or intention. She was protecting me until the very end, it seems. So like her. You must be full of questions, as am I."

"I am, but I don't want to infringe on your time. I'm not sure how I expected this conversation to go, honestly. I wanted to know you. I wanted to know if you knew about me. I don't want to disrupt your life, though-"

"If you have the time, let's do this—there's a Starbucks in the Tech Center not far from here. We can sit down, enjoy some coffee and talk. Is that agreeable to you?"

"I would love that," she smilingly replied. With a nod of assent, Virgil began leading the way out of the lecture hall.

When he heard the door opening after what had seemed like forever, Dante rose from the bench outside the room with the idea of offering whatever support Val needed. He relaxed after seeing the two emerge with smiles on their faces and he walked toward them feeling a profound sense of relief. Val turned to Virgil and sheepishly told him, "I forgot to tell you that I didn't come alone."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Virgil waited with a polite smile for Val to make the introductions. "Dante, this is Professor Virgil Mc Cullom. Virgil, this is Dante Falconeri, my—oh-" suddenly taken off guard, Val looked around in puzzlement for the right description, her gaze finally landing on Dante for assistance. "'Boyfriend' works, I guess, though it seems like such an inadequate way to describe who I am to her," he told Virgil, adding, "I'd more accurately say I'm her man—that would about cover it." "Titles can be unimportant sometimes, can't they? It took me years to finally understand that. You make one another happy; I can see that and that's what matters. It appears that I'm Val's father, though we've had no official tests of any kind. I'm basing my conviction on my knowledge of Patty P's character. At the moment, Val and I were heading over to Starbucks. Would you care to join us?"

"I don't have a problem with coming along, but wouldn't you feel more comfortable talking one on one? I don't want to interfere with you two getting to know each other…" The protest was out of Val's mouth before Virgil could answer and she replied, "I want you to be there, Dante. I did the hard part alone—I approached him. I want you there for the rest, ok?"

"So it's settled, then?" Virgil asked, going on, "Shall we?" He led them out of the building and guided them to the Tech Center.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The night I met Patty P, I was on the run," Virgil began, chuckling faintly at the memory. Val and Dante exchanged a brief glance before she wondered, "On the run? Really? From who, the police?"

"No, nothing like that. On that night, I was listening to a fiancée I hadn't officially asked to marry me and her mother discussing tuxedos and place settings; flowers, cake flavors—the venue for the wedding itself. Sitting there with them, I experienced a moment of sheer terror. I was uncertain. 'Was I doing the right thing by going forward with a marriage I wasn't sure I wanted, solely to further my career?' Lydia's father was a dean at Temple University so marrying her, thereby making him a part of my family, would be a boost to my career. I was torn but that night in particular, I longed for an escape. I made some excuse and took to the hills. Somehow, I ended up on Broad Street at the Clef Club.

The place was packed—mostly African American patrons, though there were other nationalities sprinkled in here and there. I mention that because sitting at the bar with her back to me was a woman wearing a red dress, her blond hair cascading down her back. The bartender, whose name I later learned was Smokey, was saying something to her that she found humorous and she was laughing and shaking her head at him. I was a new face in the crowd so when he glanced up and made eye contact with me, something about how he was looking made her turn around. It may have been the way I was standing in the doorway, hesitant and unsure, that caused her to smile that smile at me or to gesture for me to come in. The crowd was lively, the music was loud and she was smiling that smile at me. It all made for the perfect distraction and I badly wanted to be distracted, so I went in." Virgil paused in the middle of reminiscing to take another sip of his coffee before going on, "Ah, Val, your mother was—VIBRANT, that's the best way to describe her. I was immediately drawn to the light I could see in her. She was making everyone sitting at the bar laugh with her witticisms and quips and as she talked and laughed with them, she continued to include me, the bewildered stranger, in the conversation. I was grateful, so I bought her a drink. And that's where we started."

"For some reason when I saw the pictures my mom had, I was surprised by how much younger you were than her. You seem like such an unlikely match…" murmured Val into the sudden silence.

"We were, in many ways. What brought us and held us together was the music. That night at the club was what I suppose you might call 'Retro Night'. The jazz being played wasn't the popular music of the day but instead was from the 1950s and 60s. John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis. Sultry, sensuous, smooth music. When the crowd began thinning out, we were finally able to sit at a table. We talked together about what it would have been like to have been able to hear those artists live and to have been a part of that scene. One place Patty P said she wished she could have gone to was Pep's Musical Bar to hear the great ones play. She was young when she left home and arrived in Philadelphia but by then, Pep's had closed down. She always regretted that, she said. One night a week at the Clef, however, could be counted on to take a break from the jazz of the day and revisit the jazz of old. That became our night each week—our night at 'Pep's'."

"We were wondering why this picture in particular said 'Prince Valiant and I at Pep's' but I guess that explains it," Dante said with a smile.

"We were a way of escape for one another back then. In retrospect, I realize that I should have just ended things with Lydia but I was young and unwise then. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wondered if I could have a future with a woman who was seventeen years my senior and not of my race. I allowed fear and ambition to keep me from taking that chance."

Unable to stop herself, Val reached out and rubbed her father's arm in sympathy, a gesture he accepted with a grateful smile. "Things would've really been different if you'd have taken that leap but we'll never know for sure if they would have been better. I would have loved knowing you while I was growing up, though, and having you be a part of my life. I wonder why she didn't tell you about me—why did she keep us apart the way she did?"

"Because she knew of my ambition, my plans, and she didn't want to get in the way of that. She knew when we met that I was engaged to Lydia. My plan was to become a tenured English professor by the time I was forty. Having a dean in the English department who just happened to be my father-in-law would go a long way in helping me achieve my goal. Shamefully, I can't say it was because of some great love I had for Lydia that spurred me on. I cared for her in my own way and I believe I may someday have even come to care for her in the manner she deserved. Until I met your mother. Lydia was the key to my future but Patty P was the key to my heart. I didn't understand this until after I had gotten married, though, and I felt it would be unfair to undo the marriage and seek out your mother again. Our separation was painful enough; I didn't want to cause any more damage to her heart."

"Was it worth it? Giving up the chance on a life with my mom just to become a professor?"

"I can hear in your voice that you don't believe it should have been and you're partially correct. In some ways it has been. I achieved my goal of tenure. No matter what else, for my own parents' sake, I'm glad I was able to keep a childhood promise to them. I became a successful professor. As to the rest of it… Lydia and I shouldn't have married. In our own ways, we were both attempting to curry favor from her father. Our marriage pleased him. Eventually we discovered that we had nothing in common beyond the superficial. Perhaps having children of our own would have made a difference but they never came. Though the issue wasn't with me, she began to resent that our family wasn't expanding the way the families of the women in her circle were expanding. That seems to have driven a permanent wedge between us. She has her committees and charities where she can casually mention her husband the professor. I have my work at Temple and every so often, Retro Night at the Clef where I go and remember being Patty P's Prince Valiant, memories that often serve to soothe a troubled heart."

"Why did she call you 'Prince Valiant' though? Dante and I were thinking that might be where I got my name from. 'Valerie' is close to 'Valiant'."

"Did your mother tell you much about her childhood?"

"I know it wasn't the best but she didn't tell me a lot, no."

"Her family life was chaotic. Her father was a raging alcoholic, an abusive bully. Most of her memories of her home life were negative. She found that she was able to escape through the written word, though, something else we had in common. Something about Prince Valiant, this upright knight who fought for justice and loved his family passionately resonated with her. She used to say sometimes that she wondered if that comic hadn't saved her. He was her weekly escape from the miseries of home until she finally ran after her parents were killed. Did you know about that—the way she lost her parents?"

"I found out about it, yes. Horrible."

"Yes it was horrible and a scar that remained for a long time in her heart. She longed for her own Prince Valiant, someone who would love and protect her. For a brief time, I was that knight. I wasn't mature enough or unselfish enough to maintain it, though, and I let her slip away. Was it for the best? I'll never truly know. And now you tell me she's gone from this world. I am a fool." Virgil sighed a deep sigh of regret before asking, "Are you positive that you want to get to know this fool who is your father?"

Spontaneously, Val reached out for his and Dante's hands at the same time, linking them together as they sat at the table. With a somewhat teary smile she told him, "Dante and I wouldn't have gone through what we did to find you if I didn't want to know you. We can't change what happened in the past but we can decide what happens going forward. I know you have to talk to your wife about some things and figure out how this news will affect your marriage but if you're willing to have me as a daughter, I want very much to get to know my father. Even if he does think he's a fool." Gripping her hand tightly, Virgil included Dante in the nod he gave his daughter, saying, "So be it, then. So be it. Our combined futures start today."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	53. Chapter 53

Ch. 53

The next few days proved to be busy ones for both Valerie and Dante. It was important for Val, after finding and meeting her father Virgil, to connect him with her friend Pippa, her other "family" in Philadelphia. Growing up with Val and knowing her for so many years, Pips knew how much she had missed having a father. She was ecstatic that her friend's search had proved successful and she met Virgil with her usual exuberance. Privately, she promised Val that she would "keep an eye" on him from time to time and stay in touch with him, a promise Val gratefully accepted.

There was an unfortunate, not entirely unforeseeable consequence to the uniting of father and daughter. Lydia, Virgil's wife, was unable to accept the fact of Val's existence, especially when she realized that Val had been conceived while she and Virgil were engaged. That news caused Val's heart to sink and she tried to make peace with the unintentional impact finding her father had led to in his life. He reassured her that she wasn't at fault, that he and Lydia had technically been estranged for years, that maybe this was even a good outcome. Val wasn't totally convinced, however, and before she and Dante finally made their way back home, she attempted to convey that regret through the hug she and Virgil exchanged. He leaned back and searched her face, smiling faintly when he saw the sheen of tears beginning in her eyes. "Val," he told her sternly, "I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. It's not a regrettable thing that we met, all right? Everything is going to turn out for the best. I remain grateful that you came seeking me and that you found me. I don't want you to have any negative feelings about that, or the aftermath, whatsoever. I'll be fine. Our plans are still on for New Year's, aren't they?"

"Of course they are. I can't wait to show you off to my family in Port Charles and to have you meet them. I just wish-"

"It's useless to regret what can't be changed, Sweetheart. Wow, that just came out so naturally—I hope you don't have an issue with me calling you that."

"My own father calling me 'Sweetheart'? No, I don't have a problem in the world with that! Thank you for wanting to call me that. Thank you, Virgil, for everything, really. For the way you loved my mom, even if things didn't work out. For not rejecting me or being suspicious of my motives for finding you. That you want to be a part of my life."

You're welcome, for all those things. And eventually, when we've gotten better acquainted and your trust in me is fully established, you'll someday be able to call me 'Dad' or something along those lines. That will come, though—I'll have to have patience, won't I?" His delight at seeing the embarrassed and sheepish look on Val's face made him give her another brief squeeze. Virgil kept his arm around Val as he turned to Dante and said, "I'm grateful to have met you, as well, Dante. I know our association has been brief but I believe you to be a good man. I know I can entrust my daughter to you, since you've taken such good care of her thus far. Thank you for being by her side through this emotional time."

"You're welcome, Sir-"

"Virgil, please."

"Virgil, then. I'm just glad for her sake that we found you and that you didn't mind being found. Thank you for accepting her and wanting to be a part of her life. I'll do my best to look out for her, though we're really good at looking out for each other. You don't have to worry about that."

After the two men exchanged an understanding nod, Virgil reminded Val, "So we're set here, correct? Email a couple of times a week and phone calls at least a couple of times a month?"

"At least that, if not more. I don't want to make you sick of me, but-"

"You could email me every day and I won't 'get sick' of you. I want to know you, Val. Don't lose sight of that. It's going to take effort from both of us and I'm willing to put in the work, so get ready to do the same."

"I am. I will."

"Good. Now you two go on and prepare to board. Let me know when you've safely landed in Port Charles, all right?"

"We'll be sure to call."

"Safe travels, then." Virgil watched them as they went through the checkpoint, giving them a final wave before they disappeared. He then made his way back to the university to prepare for his afternoon class.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So was I right, or was I right?" Dante asked Val once they were seated on the plane.

"About what?"

"About a whole lot of things, but mostly, that what you thought would happen was nowhere near what actually happened. 'The anticipation of death is worse than death itself'."

"Oh, yeah, your little mantra. Yes, I'll admit you were right. Things turned out way better than I expected, although I wish his marriage could have survived…"

"Like he told you, what's happening to them is not your fault but her choice. Personally, I think he's relieved, in a way. Like this gave them the push they needed to make some changes."

"I guess you're right about that, too. You've just been batting 1000 all weekend, haven't you? Where did you get that saying from anyway?"

"It's an old Japanese proverb, supposedly. I can tell you, it's gotten me through many situations and gone with me through a whole lot of doors in my career. It gives me courage somehow."

"Something I'll need to face Jordan—Commissioner Ashford—when we get home."

"Exactly. Although what she can do-"

"She can do a lot!"

"Ok, but I mean really, what can she do? She could block your entrance into the academy but she won't do that. If she was going to fire you she'd have done that already. If I understood her correctly, she left the ball in your court, right?"

"Pretty much."

"There you go. Go in there, state your case, tell her your decision, and go from there. I'm assuming you still want to become a cop?"

Val turned to Dante and with a puzzled frown asked him, "Why are you asking me that? My plan is still to enter the academy. You don't think I should?"

"I think you should do what you want to do but you're not good at the minutiae of police work, in my opinion. You're not the most patient person from what I've observed. So much of detecting is tedious, painstaking work. You like things to happen 'now, now, now!' and I'm not sure how that works for your future as a cop."

"I can't believe you're questioning me now about my dedication-"

"I'm not questioning your dedication—I'm helping you solidify your position. You asked me once what made me become a cop and why I do what I do. You seemed happy enough being an admin. You have one conversation with Anna Devane and your whole focus shifts, which is fine with me. Just be sure about what you're doing and why you want to do it before you talk to Jordan."

After a few moments' reflection, Val admitted, "I'd be lying if I said I had a sudden urge to help mankind, though that element is there. It's a lot of things, I guess. The ability to meet a challenge like going up against someone like Joey Robbs and coming out on top. Pitting my wits against a bad guy and getting him off the streets. I never thought of myself as an adrenalin junkie but I'll admit that element is there, too. The rush you get being in the moment, when making the wrong decision could have dire consequences but you've still got to make a move. I don't know if I'd want to go through that every day, but when I was sitting across from Robbs and we were negotiating a price for the Sigs, I enjoyed it. I wanted to complete my mission so when he zigged, I zagged. It was exciting. It looks like becoming a cop is my best chance to take almost nothing, build it into something, and get a satisfactory conclusion for myself and the people around me, using guts and grit. In a nutshell."

"And the danger? That isn't an issue?"

"Of course it's an issue but I feel like if I use my head, I can either avoid the danger or find a way out of it. That's where, hopefully, my training will come in handy."

Dante couldn't help but laugh as he said, "You are such a Spencer!"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's an amazing thing, actually. It's a family trait and almost all of you seem to have it. I saw it in Lulu and your cousin Lucky—even in your Uncle Luke before he went off the rails. It'll serve you well in your career, Angel. I think you're ready for whatever Jordan throws at you."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Jordan faced Val across her desk with a raised eyebrow as she inquired, "You've used this time well, I trust. What have you decided about your future with my department?"

Looking Jordan squarely in the eye, Val replied, "I want to work for and with you, Commissioner. I believe I could learn a lot from your influence and experiences. I want to become a cop and I'd like to serve here, under your command. I've made some mistakes in the past, some of which I regret, like ruining our friendship. I'd like to tell you I regret everything I've done but I'd be lying if I said that."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I don't regret going up against Robbs. I shouldn't have done it without your permission or knowledge, I know. I don't regret being able to outthink him or even proving to myself that I had the courage to do what I did. I intend to work hard to rebuild your trust and faith in me. I can't say enough that it never was my intention to trade on our friendship by doing what I did. I really hope that someday, you'll believe that." She paused as she waited for Jordan's response.

"Ok, listen. What you did was reckless and foolish and even somewhat illegal. I was able to keep it quiet, though so there'll be no repercussions for either you or me. You say that you didn't intend to use our friendship to get over or get away with your actions. I'll accept that. We'll start with a clean slate."

"What does that mean, exactly—a clean slate?"

"It means that after all the requirements are met, I won't try to block your entrance into the academy. It means that I look forward to working with you again and even more so once you become a cop. What you did was foolhardy but it took guts and I can admit to you now that I admire that. It means that Anna and I are going out for drinks tonight after work and you should come along with. That's what it means."

A huge grin broke out on Val's face and she asked, "Do I still have to call you 'Commissioner Ashford'?

"Don't push it, Spencer! You should call me that anyway when we're at work! We can hang out and everything we did before but I need you to remember that at the end of the day, I'm still your boss. What you do professionally reflects on me. If that's going to be a problem or if you can't make that distinction-"

"It won't be a problem, I promise! Thanks, Jordan, for giving me another chance. I mean that."

"Yeah, well, don't make me regret it."

"You won't."

"So we're clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Now that that's out of the way, tell me about Philly. What happened there?" With a relieved heart and mind, Val told her friend about the trip to Philadelphia, and meeting her father.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While Val and Jordan were hashing out the details of their working and personal relationships, Dante was catching up on the brief happenings he had missed while away. Nathan had finally been cleared for duty and it was with barely disguised relief that Dante tried to keep his pleasure at being released from partnering with Randy Hill from showing. He knew that Randy still had thoughts of getting Val to see something in him that she would be willing to leave Dante for, and he still found it hard to trust someone who believed so strongly in the mission of Internal Affairs. He was looking forward to getting things back to normal. Nathan was bringing him up to speed on a case that had come in the previous day, one involving two teenagers and an accidental overdose on high-grade cocaine. It seemed as though once again, someone was attempting to move drugs through their city. Dante dug through an old case file, a case he had worked with Lucky Spencer involving the North Coast Cartel, Joaquin Sebastian Ordoñez, and his sister, Pilar. Sebastian had finally been successfully indicted for the attempted murder of Johnny Zacchara and Ethan Lovett after an exhaustive investigation but he remembered Sebastian mentioning how extensive their network actually was. He offered this new line of inquiry to Nathan and the two of them set to work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was in this way that the days began passing into weeks. Having made her peace with Jordan, Val was waiting to hear how she did on the civil service examination. She felt confident that she had scored well but she found herself growing anxious as she waited for the results, a feeling she shared with her father during a recent phone call. "It'll come, Sweetheart. Be patient," she was reminded as he added, "I remember how many tense months and years I spent in pursuit of tenure. Looking back, I wish I had allowed myself to enjoy the process more. Slow down, Val and just enjoy the process. Life happens quickly. One day you're going to look up and realize that you've been a police officer for over five years. That may seem so far off in the distance but trust me, it's not. Everything happens when it's supposed to, so relax." She marveled as they ended the call how wonderful it was to have his steady influence in her life and how he had come to mean so much to her in such a short time. Taking his words to heart, she resolved to be patient and to enjoy the journey. When the news that she had passed the test in the ten percentile of the applicants came, she was excited but settled as she prepared for the next phase in the application process.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante and Nathan weren't finding a direct or obvious link to the North Coast Cartel and the sudden influx of coke into their city but Dante knew deep pockets had to be involved because the product was of such a high quality. After reaching out to the surrounding precincts, he and Nathan concluded that the problem was far-reaching, moving out beyond Port Charles. It was with this in mind that he approached the Commissioner with the proposal to form a task force specifically designed to tackle the case. Liaising with precincts in Buffalo and Rochester, Dante was put in charge of heading up the task force under Jordan's guidance. It was a daunting undertaking and a huge responsibility to be placed in such a position but Dante was determined to crack the case. He decided to use the resources he had at his disposal, namely his father and Mac Scorpio, who had been commissioner when the Ordoñez case had been successfully resolved. Whenever he felt himself getting frustrated with the progress he didn't feel he was making, he remembered telling Val about having patience with the minutiae involved in police work and he felt himself settle. He couldn't exactly preach patience if he wasn't willing to show any.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Val and Dante were sitting on the floor in front a cozy fire in the penthouse enjoying wine and discussing the lack of momentum or headway in his case. He knew that there was something staring him in the face, a connection that, If he could just make it, would have an important impact. As they reasoned out the facts together, Val queried, "What makes you so sure the North Coast Cartel is involved?"

"It's the insidious way they operated before. They had so many things in place before we even knew there was a problem. They'd gotten to the Five Families and even chased Sonny out of town. If we hadn't been able to bring Sebastian to justice, Sonny might still be on his island in Puerto Rico. They're usually more subtle, though. It feels like they're involved, and yet it doesn't. It's frustrating."

"You say Ordoñez is locked up?"

"Yeah, he went away for a nice, long stretch for attempted murder. That doesn't prevent him from operating from prison, though." "True. Where's his sister Pilar?" "Who knows—probably off spending their millions on some island somewhere." Val looked at Dante in surprise. "Why don't you know where she is?" "Look, she was just an empty-headed chick who was only involved because she was his sister. I'm seeing her as a non-factor in this thing." "Which could be a mistake. From what you told me about this guy, I don't see him having the tolerance for keeping an empty-headed nuisance by his side. How do you know that it wasn't just a cover to help her avoid prosecution? For all you really know, the reason this feels familiar and yet not is because SHE'S running things and not him. I wouldn't count her out, especially if you haven't investigated her. Girl Power, you know."

"You have a point, a valid one. One I really don't want to have to deal with because I don't know who was crazier, him or her." He sighed before going on, "I need a break. Being in charge of this task force is harder work than I thought. I'm glad the holidays are coming up."

"Tell me about it. It'll be nice to kick back and take some time to relax and chill. I'm looking forward to it, too."

"Don't get too relaxed, Angel. Don't forget—we've got special plans for those days off."

"Special plans?"

"Yeah. You, my sweet, in case you've forgotten, are going to spend Natale with me and the whole Bensonhurst Falconeri clan, meeting my Nonno and Nonna. No excuses." Valerie gave Dante a look of startled shock. Somehow, she had successfully managed to block out the mention of a Falconeri Christmas. Against her will, images of angry Italians yelling curses at her swirled in her head and suddenly, the much welcomed "Christmas break" didn't feel like something to be desired at all…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


End file.
